Fomena (Ash), Dec 9, GNA - The Ashanti Region recorded 25,975 AIDS cases out of the cumulative cases of 111,985 recorded in the country last year.

Dr. Kofi Asare, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, who announced this in a speech read for him at the Regional Celebration of World AIDS Day at Fomena in the Adansi North district on Friday, said the figure puts the region as the highest recorder of AIDS cases in the country.

He said a number of measures had been instituted by the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Health Directorate to curb the spread of the infection and also manage and support People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).

Dr Asare said, it included the putting in place of 53 counselling and testing centres for the public, who wished to know their HIV/AIDS status to have access, care and support.

In addition, 53 Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV health facilities are in operation throughout the region for pregnant women to know their HIV/AIDS status and thereby prevent the infection from the infected mother to 93the innocent unborn child=94. The Regional Director of Health said out of the 32 anti-retroviral sites in the country, the region had seven located at Kumasi South, Bomso, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Obuasi Government Hospital, Pramso, Offinso and Obuasi AngloGold Ashanti Hospitals. Dr Asare said the region had managed to secure financial support for 42 out of the 70 PLWHAs associations from the Global Fund through the National AIDS/STI Programme for their monthly meetings and income generating activities.

In an address, read for him, Mr. Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, stressed the need for the youth to be at the centre of campaigns aimed at fighting the HIV/AIDS and the attendant stigma.

The Regional Minister encouraged youth groups to form Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to solicit for support from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) to undertake HIV/AIDS education programmes in the communities.

Mr Owusu-Ansah emphasised the need for all to play their roles in ensuring that appropriate policies and programmes were formulated and implemented to deal with the menace and its ravaging effects. The Regional Minister said the theme for the celebration 93Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise, The Time is Now=94, sought to hold institutions, individuals and all stakeholders accountable for their roles in the management of HIV/AIDS.

He gave the assurance that the government would continue to show commitment and adopt an even more holistic approach to combat the epidemic under the Multi-Sector HIV/AIDS Programme (MSHAP). Mr Peter K. Ameyaw, the Adansi North District Chief Executive in a welcoming address, said the district assembly was much concern about the implications of HIV/AIDS on the socio-economic development of the area and was doing everything possible to check its spread. 09 Dec. 06