Ashaiman, Nov 17, GNA - Ashaiman near Tema, which is battling with sanitation and criminal activities, is faced with another serious menace, HIV/AIDS, which places it first in the prevalence rate Greater Accra Region.

"Ashaiman ranks first in HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Greater Accra Region with about seven per cent. Seven out of every 100 people picked at random in Ashaiman are carrying the HIV virus", Dr Cynthia Kwakye, Tema Municipal Director of Health Services, said at an HIV/AIDS campaign programme at Ashaiman.

She said the region has a prevalence rate of 4.1 percent with the Tema Municipality having the highest prevalence rate of over 6.6 percent with Ashaiman as the most contributors.

The campaign was organised by the Family Health Foundation (FHF) a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

It inaugurated its task force to step up education on the pandemic in homes, churches, social gathering, and every corner of the communities. Dr Kwakye projected that by the year 2005 the prevalence in Tema would be eight percent and that in the 2002 HIV/AIDS overtook Cerebro Vascular Accident (CVA) or stroke as the top cause of death in the Tema municipality.

In the first half of this year, 285 cases of the menace were reported in the municipality as compared to 250 in the same period of 2002 and for both years 55 percent of the cases were females and 45 percent males. Research indicates that although HIV awareness rate among Ghanaians is about 99 percent, the personal risk perception is low, because 58 percent of adults do not perceive themselves as being at risk. She appealed to NGO's and community-based organisation to use the monies and resources allocated to them for the promotion of programmes honestly and effectively to curtail the pandemic, which is putting a drain on the national economy.

Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, the Tema Municipal Chief Executive, called for a pragmatic approach to curb HIV/AIDS, since it is affecting all sectors of the economy.

Mrs Jane Mansa Okrah, Executive Director of the Family Health Foundation said her NGO is concentrating its programmes in Ashaiman in view of the fast spread of the HIV/AIDS menace in the community. She therefore, appealed to residents to co-operate with the task force to achieve good results.