Children Department, Foundation unhappy about HIV spread among adolescents

By Christopher Tetteh

Sunyani, (Bono), Feb. 4, GNA – Mr George Yaw Ankamah, the Bono Regional Director of the Department of Children, has expressed worry about increasing cases of HIV infections among adolescents in the country, describing the trend as a “big blow to the nation’s labour and productivity.”

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, he called for intensified HIV and AIDS education among the youth, worrying that the youth knowledge about the disease remained low.

Mr Ankamah was reacting to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) 2023 National Estimates and Projections data.

According to the data, out of the total 334,945 Persons Living with HIV and AIDs (PLwHAs) in the country, 316,545, representing 95 percent, were 15 years old and above.

Mr Ankamah called on caregivers, parents, religious leaders, educational institutions, political activists and corporates to help the GAC to upscale HIV and AIDS education, while supporting policy implementation too.

He also urged parents to ensure that their adolescents retire to bed before them, entreating them to do more to protect their children.

He said HIV and AIDs spread remained a national security concern, saying the rapid spread of the disease would slow down the nation’s quest to achieve all the 17 set targets for the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Commenting on the figures, Mrs Gifty Nyarko, the Chief Executive Officer of the G2 Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, also described the trend of infections among the adolescent and women as disturbing.

She also called on parents and guardians to monitor the movements of their children and wards, explaining that the foundation sought the general wellbeing of orphans, widows, girls, the aged and PLwHAs.

“We need urgent national action against HIV and AIDs) she stated and called for a concerted approach to stem the spread of the disease.”

“Families and relations must take full responsibility to protect teenagers from contracting the virus”, Mrs Nyarko advised, worrying that “because the virus is affecting the most productive section of the society, it has negative implications on labour, productivity, economic growth and development of the country”.

GNA