Kumasi, Aug. 13, GNA - The Management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has since 2003 administered Anti Retroviral Drugs (ARD) to 1,700 HIV patients in the country. Currently 2,150 HIV patients have been enrolled and being examined by doctors in preparation for ARD treatment.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, announced this when addressing the closing session of a two-week HIV Care and Treatment Training Programme, organised by Action for West Africa Region (AWARE) HIV/AIDS for 16 Nigerians and a Togolese in Kumasi. AWARE HIV/AIDS, an international NGO, with the assistance of USAID, has selected KATH as its HIV/AIDS training centre for the West African sub region. The programme was the second in the series since the centre was established in 2005.

Dr Nsiah-Asare, said the hospital had worked hard to perfect the treatment and care for HIV patients in the country through best practices in HIV care and management.

He said the hospital currently provided a range of HIV/AIDS care and services including Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Adult and Paediatric ARD treatment clinics.

Dr Nsiah-Asare said in spite of the acute shortage of staff and the increase in the number of clients, the hospital would continue to strengthen its HIV/AIDS care and management to ensure that patients had the best possible treatment for their afflictions.

"It is our desire to build on our experiences in this area so that as a teaching hospital we can become leading HIV/AIDS research, training and care centre in Africa," he emphasised.

He commended AWARE for their continued collaboration with the hospital and was optimistic the training would provide the participants the requisite knowledge and skills to provide best care for HIV patients. In addition, they would undertake other preventive measures to abate the spread of the disease in the sub region.

Dr Catherine Dawson-Amoah, Head of Public Health at KATH, said the programme would help form linkages between respective institutions and other organisations to improve the care and treatment of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWA) within the West African Sub-region.