From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:GHANA: AIDS SPREADING RAPIDLY, BUT SEX HABITS ARE NOT CHANGING
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:21:19 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: GHANA: AIDS SPREADING RAPIDLY, BUT SEX HABITS ARE NOT CHANGING


an inter press service feature

by edward ameyibor

accra, dec 23 (ips) -- efforts to fight the acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (aids) are being frustrated by the rapid
spread of the incurable disease, health authorities say.

since the disease was first diagnosed in this west african
nation in 1986, the number of cases have increased from 26
to 4,163 todate, according to official figures.

a breakdown of the figures shows at least 1,736 of the
reported cases are from people who are resident in ghana and
have never left this nation of 15 million.

in 1986 the authorities had said aids victims were young
women engaged in ''commercial sex'' outside ghana. six years
later, the authorities report a different situation.

government figures show most of the victims do not know where
accra international airport is nor have they travelled near any
border of a neighbouring country.

in the upper east region of ghana, the incident of aids rose
from 47 in 1989 to 272 in 1991. by august this year 170 new
cases were recorded. kpando district in the volta region, near
togo, had 31 deaths from aids between 1991 and october this
year.

during the same period, 69 aids cases were reported among
children below the age of 14 and 129 cases in the 15-19 age
group.

ghana has 7,408 known carriers -- 4,998 females and 2,410
males, dr mary grant of the ministry of health told the third
national aids conference here recently.

the rate of infection among blood donors is nearly two
percent. however, thanks to the national aids programme launched
in 1986, nearly all the provinces in the country now have blood
screening devices to test blood from donors.

''the risk of hiv (the aids-causing virus) infection through
blood transfusion has been further minimised by ensuring
transfusion is given only when it is absolutely necessary'',
health secretary (minister) steve obimpeh told ips.

six more blood screening units are expected to be set up at
selected areas around ghana at the cost of three million
dollars, adds obimpeh. (more/ips)


ghana: aids

health officials and workers attribute the growing aids cases
to people's failure to change their sex habits despite intensive
education campaign on aids and its effects.

the campaigns includes the distribution and promotion of the
regular use of condoms. at least two million condoms were sold
in ghana last year.

''despite the educational programmes, many people, including
prostitutes, continue to engage in high-risk sex'', says
obimpeh.

''a few surveys conducted recently show that not many men use
condoms with even prostitutes, preferring to pay a high price to
engage in unsafe sex'', adds the health secretary.

in her address to the third national aids conference, dr
grant said: ''the general conclusion is that the efforts being
made to control aids do not appear sufficient to prevent the
spread of the infection''.

a pulic health nurse, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
told ips many ghanaians are apathetic to the aids disease and
the aids awareness campaign.

''if you have not lost a relative or a close friend, you
don't even feel the diseases exists'', says the nurse. ''another
reason is that aids takes a long time to manifest itself, so
many people don't really feel it is real''.

lucky gidigo, extention worker at the university of ghana,
suggests the use of theatre may help spread the message about
aids.

''when there is a play with people they know engaged in it
and they see the harmful effects of aids, the urban poor and the
rural people will get the message'', gidigo told ips.

kofi asobayire, deputy director of nursing services in upper
east region, gives similar advice.

what is needed, suggests asobayire, is a multi-media message
that will arouse awareness and let everybody know he is at risk.
(end/ips/ea/nm/apc/92)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african