Accra, April 20, GNA- The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) has elected Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, a social policy analyst, as its new president.
Delegates from across the country at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) elected Mr Ortsin unopposed, together with Mrs. Victoria Araba Dennis as the Vice-President, Mr. Andrew Yilob as secretary, and Mr. Louis Acheampong as treasurer.
Mr. Patrick Akuntungbo, was elected as the Public Relations Officer after he polled 42 votes to beat Mr Joshua Nii Pappoe, who had four votes.
A press statement from the Network sent to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said.
Mr Ortsin took over from Mr. Victor Attah Ntumi who led the Network for about decade.
The statement said, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), described the Network as a key partner of GAC since its formation in 2002 and recounted the Network’s numerous contributions to the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The AGM was on the theme: “Repositioning GHANET in the National Campaign Against HIV and COVID-19,” and attended by Dr Kafui Senya from the World Health Organization who chaired the opening ceremony, Mrs Angela Trenton-Mbonde, the Country Director, UNAIDS, Dr Jane Okrah, Adviser for Communities, UNAIDS and Mrs Adjoa Yenyi, National Programme Analyst, UNFPA.
Mr Ntumy said he and his executives were happy to be handing over a Network that was “stable and repositioning itself to go to the next level.”
Mr. Ortsin said his administration would run on the tripod principles of innovation, inclusion, and integration.
He said the Network would use technology for meetings and incorporate other diseases and campaigns into its core mandate.
GHANET was established in 1996 as a civil society response to the AIDS epidemic in Ghana.
It is made up of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that work in the area of HIV and AIDS.
The new president has been a member of the Network since the early 2000s and currently represents it on the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism where he chairs the Malaria Oversight / RSSH (Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health) Committee.
Mr. Ortsin will now serve on the board of GAC, which is chaired by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
GNA