Minister inaugurates committee to coordinate HIV and AIDS programmes in Bono Region

Mr Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister has inaugurated the Bono Regional Committee of the Ghana AIDS Commission (RECCOM) to coordinate HIV and AIDS activities and programmes in the region.

The Regional Minister chairs the nine-member committee which comprises representatives from the Health and Education Directorates, Ghana Aids Commission (GAC), Regional NAP plus, as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on HIV and AIDS, the Regional House of Chiefs as well as the Christian and Muslim communities.

They are tasked to provide oversight of the regional HIV and AIDS response and support the GAC to address emerging concerns of HIV and AIDS in the region.

At a ceremony at Sunyani, Mr Akwaboa, said although the nation had made some significant progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, persistent challenges of new infections, as well as stigmatisation, discrimination, data gaps, and limited resources ought to be tackled, and that required community-level innovation.

He said those challenges required stronger leadership, more coordinated action and renewed commitment, stating that the 2024 National Estimates and Projections Data from the GAC revealed that there were 15,290 new infections of HIV nationwide.

He said the new infections were unacceptably alarming and called for concerted and decisive approaches to bring the situation under control.

Mr Akwaboa said the Bono Region continued to record a consistently high HIV prevalence rate of 2.22 per cent, the highest in the country, which remained a serious public health concern.

He expressed the hope that the RECCOM would help enhance the region’s capacity to deliver a robust, well-coordinated, and evidence-based HIV response.

Justice Winnie Amoatey-Owusu, a High Court Judge at Sunyani, later led the committee members to swear on the oath of office, and secrecy.
GNA