The Minister of Mines, Mrs Cecilia Bannerman has commended CARE International for its activities in family planning and HIV/AIDS which have helped to improve the health status of people in two mining districts in the country.

"Family planning and HIV/AIDS are two areas in our health needs which have drawn heavy toll on the national economy but I have faith with the participation of CARE International, the nation will be able to surmount the menace".

The Minister made the commendation in a speech read for her at a district durbar at the Ashanti Goldfield Company (AGC) Club House at Obuasi on Friday to wind up the Ashanti Region Community Health (ARCH) project which was carried out by CARE in the Adansi West District since 1999.

The project's overall goal was to contribute to the health security by empowering the people in the communities to achieve their reproductive intentions and reproductive health with emphasis on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).

Mrs Bannerman noted that Adansi West and Wassa West Districts produce the bulk of the nation's gold and manganese and therefore was of deepest appreciation, the role CARE has played to effectively provide the primary needs of the people in these two district.

The Minister said since CARE was bringing its activities to an end, it behoved the District Health Administrations as well as the mines health officials to sustain the project and continuously enhance the health of all people who flood the two districts in search of fortunes.

Dr Samuel Duh, Sector Co-ordinator of CARE, Ghana said as a result of care activities in Adansi, knowledge on preventive sexual practices among miners raised from 62 per cent to 90 per cent while that of their spouses went up from 52 per cent to 92 per cent. In addition condom sales increased from 58,000 to 215,000.

Dr. Duh said these enhanced knowledge on HIV/AIDS led to the reduction of prevalence rate of STI from 16 per cent to 4.5 per cent.

The Sector-Co-ordinator said CARE's successes were achieved through the support and co-operation of the various community groups and other stakeholders and commended them for that.

The Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Kofi Asare appreciated the services CARE has rendered in the region and reaffirmed that the Ghana Health Service will continue to collaborate with NGOs, especially CARE in dealing with health problems in the country.

He observed that the winding up of CARE activities should be seen as an end to a process and not an end of programme. He therefore, assured that the GHS will work with CARE to bring information to the people on HIV/AIDS.

The Regional Director of Health Services announced that the health administration would soon embark on a programme to prevent parents transmission of HIV/AIDS to children and added that they would need the support and collaboration of NGOs for its success.

The Adansi West District Chief Executive, Mr. Joe Boampong, in a speech read for him acknowledged the role CARE had played to build the capacities of community members in dealing with health problems.

Outstanding staff of CARE International were presented with certificates whilst 14 out of the 468 volunteers who were trained by CARE during the implementation of the ARCH project were given certificates and bicycles.

The durbar was presided over by the Adansihene's representative Nana Kyei Baffour, Gyaasehene of Fomena.