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A delegation from the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) last Thursday paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra.
The delegation, led by the President of SAA, Dr Parirenyatwa David Pagwesese, was in the country to assess Ghana’s readiness to host the 23rd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).
He was accompanied by Dr Emmy Chesire, a board member, and Luc Armand Bodea (ICASA Director/Coordinator at SAA Permanent Secretariat).
Welcoming the delegation, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana feels very strongly about the fight against HIV and AIDS and has over the years been working hard to combat it.
He noted that the opportunity to host the conference in Accra was in line with the country’s commitment to dealing with the menace and was something that was more than welcome.
President Akufo-Addo said hosting of the conference here in Accra would not just direct the minds of the entire world to the disease, but also would showcase the country’s efforts towards its eradication.
“Obviously, the hosting of the conference will direct the minds of the entire world not just to the disease but also to the location of the conference in terms of our contribution to the fight against it. That is something that we find very fruitful to highlight,” he emphasised.
Beyond that, he said it is one event that would require inviting other heads-of-states to fully participate in and all those issues were straight forward issues which would be dealt with at the appropriate forum.
He explained that his term of office as the president of the country would have expired by the time the conference takes place, he was of the firm conviction that his successor would fully participate in it and ensure a very successful conference.
“I’ve almost exhausted the terms, but my successor will be in this seat and God willing it will be somebody from my party who will succeed me and definitely whoever it is, we definitely obviously will have to take it seriously to be present on such an occasion,” he said.
Recounting Ghana’s performance in terms of dealing with the disease, the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, said the country’s prevalence rate currently is 1.5 per cent and this was the lowest on the continent.
He said even though the prevalence rate was 1.5 per cent, the situation was a bit different when it comes to prison inmates in the country as their prevalence rate was 2.3 per cent and that of those who use and inject drugs stood at 2.5 per cent.
The figure, he said, was a bit higher amongst special groups such as female sex workers, 4.6 per cent, 26 per cent in men who have sex with men, and 48 per cent in transgender women.
“So, these are some of the special groups that usually the national programme targets to make sure that they get attention and we are able to reduce their rates further down,” he stressed.
Dr Pagwesese, on his part, said the Society was in the country as an assessment team to apprise themselves of Ghana’s preparedness towards hosting of the ICASA.
He explained that ICASA was the body that hosts various conferences within the African Region with the mandate to promote the fight against HIV and AIDS on the continent and has been doing so for the last 35 years.
Further, explained that what normally was expected from government was that they provide a conference centre that is appropriate and suitable for the conference.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
