Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 2/12/2004

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1 - GHANA: HIV infection rates rising in cities, survey shows

1 - GHANA: HIV infection rates rising in cities, survey shows

ACCRA, 11 February (PLUSNEWS) - Ghanaian health experts began reviewing

measures to control HIV/AIDS at a first ever National Research Conference

on Wednesday following a new survey which showed that HIV prevalance rates

were rising in the country's main cities.

Ghana's National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), which conducts Ghana's

HIV/AIDS Sentinel Surveys, determined in 2002 that the HIV prevalence rate

in Ghana was 3.4 percent, one of the lowest in West Africa.

However, the first results of the 2003 Sentinel Survey, disclosed on

Wednesday showed that HIV infection rates were on the rise, especially in

big cities.

" Already six of our major cities - representing 27 percent of the

monitoring sites - have registered prevalence rates above the five per

cent referential point.

This means infections are increasing and we should use research to find

out why this is happening, " Sakyi Amoa Direct General of the Ghana AIDS

commission told PlusNews.

The new findings of 2003 Sentinel Survey are still being analysed and will

be published in full next month.

" Though current interventions are doing well, " Amoa said, " we have to

ensure that research findings conducted locally into the epidemic are

published and made to impact on the country's national AIDS response. "

The three-day conference will place a lot of emphasis on the provision of

locally developed herbal drugs to treat infections related to HIV/AIDS

infections, besides analysing the recent provision of antiretroviral drugs

in Ghana.

This interest in traditional medicines follows the success of a research

project at the Scientific Research Centre in Ghana's Eastern Region, where

HIV prevalence rates of 7.9 percent are among the highest in the country.

Samples of traditional medicine from five herbalists were administered to

96 patients with full-blown AIDS to treat opportunistic infections

associated with the disease. Their condition improved as a result.

Ghana's Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health,

Professor Fred Sai, said more research should be conducted into the

efficacy of herbal tretments and other locally developed methods of

managing the disease.

In 2002, the United States' aid organisation, USAID began a limited

antiretroviral treatment programme in eastern Ghana.

[ENDS]

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