Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 2/10/2004

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1 - GHANA: ECOWAS governments tackle HIV/AIDS in their armed forces

1 - GHANA: ECOWAS governments tackle HIV/AIDS in their armed forces

ACCRA, 9 February (PLUSNEWS) - Top military commanders of the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Ghana on Monday to draw

up a detailed two-year action plan to tackle HIV/AIDS within their armed

forces.

" Data on the absolute prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the armed forces is not

very good right now for West Africa, " Professor Bertrand, an

official of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) told PlusNews on

the sidelines of the three-day meeting in Accra.

However, WAHO reckons the situation could well be similar to that in

Southern Africa, where HIV prevalence rates in the military are between

three to five times that of the general population.

Bertrand said West African soldiers were particularly at risk from

HIV/AIDS because of their frequent participation in peacekeeping

operations in the conflict-torn region.

" The sub-region's military, as represented by this conference, is very

convinced that it needs to deal with this problem with more effective

collective efforts to lower the prevalence rates within its ranks, " he

stressed.

Troops from several of the ECOWAS's 15 member states are currently serving

in peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire.

" Though, it is very difficult to gather statistically sound evidence from

war-zones, it is quite likely that more people will be killed by AIDS in

these areas than bullets. It is therefore very incumbent on all of us to

address this as one of the priority problems, " Bertrand said.

Delegates may well take a detailed look at Ghana's own strongly enforced

policy for dealing with HIV/AIDS in the armed forces, which has yielded

positive results.

" In our armed forces, the prevalence of HIV is lower than that in the gene

ral population of Ghana, which currently stands at 3.8 percent, " Ghana's

Military Director of Medical Services, Brigadier-General Twum told

PlusNews.

The military high command actively encourages responsible sexual behaviour

and condom usage throughout the ranks.

For many years Ghana has been a major contributor of troops to UN and

ECOWAS peacekeeping forces. However, soldiers who are HIV-positive miss

out on these prized opportunities for travel, prestige and extra pay.

" Our soldiers infected with HIV/AIDS are not allowed to go on peacekeeping

missions, " Brigadier General Twum said. " They are aware of this policy and

make an active personal effort to prevent themselves from catching the

virus in order to take part in these operations. "

He and other Ghanaian officials refused to give precise data about AIDS

levels in the military and to what extent they had been reduced.

The Accra meeting aims to define concrete steps to be implemented by each

government within the framework of an action plan developed by West

African health and defence officials in Mali last year.

The conference organisers are optimistic that Ghana's success case will be

replicated by the military of other ECOWAS member countries.

" Interventions within the military generally tend to be more successful

than interventions in the general community. We do expect to see those

rates beginning to drop, " Bertrand said.

[ENDS]

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