Oguaa Assembly urged to support activities of HIV/AIDS CommitteeOguaa Assembly urged to support activities of HIV/AIDS Committee

Cape Coast, Jan.24, GNA -The Cape Coast Metropolitan HIV and AIDS Focal Person, Mrs. Rebecca Antwi-Baffour, has observed that the socio-economic dynamics of the Metropolis require strong commitment from the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) to combat the HIV and AIDS disease.She said Cape Coast, being a tourists’ destination with its attendant social challenges, demands prudent social interventions to help fight the disease in the area.Mrs. Antwi-Baffour who raised these concerns at a meeting of the Cape Coast Metro HIV and AIDS Committee, appealed to the CCMA to fully support the Committee, and ensure that all its plans and programmes were fully implemented to help achieve the “getting to zero” HIV and AIDS in 2015.The current prevalence rate of the HIV and AIDS in the Metropolis is 2.8 percent, which she described as worrying because it was higher than the Regional and National rates of 1.9 and 1.37 respectively.She said the high rate of teenage pregnancies found particularly in the Kwaprow, Essuekyir, Amissaekyir and Nkanfoa communities was an indication that large number of teenagers in the Metropolis were engaging in unprotected sex with the possibility of contracting the disease.Mrs. Antwi-Baffour, therefore, urged the Committee to work with dispatch this year.She was full of praise for HIV and AIDS community-based and non-governmental organizations, for contributing immensely towards the fight against the pandemic, but expressed dismay that many of the organisations were folding up due to lack of funds from sponsors. The Focal Person stressed the need for all such organizations to be given the needed funds to carry on with their work because the Metro Committee cannot do the work alone.Members of the Committee appealed to the authorities to consider the socio-economic challenges of Oguaa, and tailor policies to meet those challenges on the ground, which include high teenage pregnancy rates, unemployment and HIV and AIDS.It will be recalled that work of the Committee was stalled last year due to lack funds, and members further expressed worry that the situation might get out of hand if the situation continued this year.Among the 2014-work plan drawn by the Committee are educational campaigns, media advocacy, voluntary testing and counseling, mobilization of HIV and AIDS related CBOs and NGOs and Monitoring.GNA Read Full Story