77% Of Sexually Active Females In Ghana Are HIV Positive

The Minister of Health, Hon Joseph Yieleh Chireh has said that, from January-June 2011, 27,988 people were tested HIV positive. He said female’s form 77% of the total individuals. He made this known yesterday in Accra when his ministry had their turn of the meet the press series organized by the Ministry of Information.
According to him, 550,537 people received testing and counseling (97,157 were males and 453,380 were females), 27,988 were tested HIV positive, indicating a period prevalence of 4% among this, 77% of the total positives were females.
He added that, during the half year, a total of 7,517 people made up of 6,954 adults and 563 children were put on ART.
He further stated that, the health sector has a four strategic plan, with five broad strategic objective that include: bridge equity gaps in access to health and ensure sustainable financing arrangement that protect the poor, improve governance and strengthen efficiency and effectiveness in health service delivery, and also improve access to quality maternal. Neonatal, child and adolescent service,: intensify prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases: and lastly strengthen institutional care, including mental health services delivery.
He further stated that, measure such as providing adequate heath infrastructure and equipment that will enhance the localization of treatment, expanding coverage of CHPS, increase access to primary health care services, human resource development, private sector collaboration, review and development of health sector bill and intensify behavior change strategy especially for high risk including health life styles are some of the measures to tackle maternal and child health issues.
He hinted that, Ante natal coverage have also increased from 32.4% in 2010 to 46.0% this year “deliveries by skilled attendants have increased from 16.1% for the half year in 2010 to 27.1% for the same period in 2011, post natal coverage improved from 18.7 in 2010 to 29.5% in 2011, maternal mortality declined from 451 in 2007 to 350 in 2010 showing a significant decrease. In order to achieved the MDG 5 target by 2015 therefore reduction of maternal mortality to 185 per 100,00 death our effort need to be doubled”.
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