Volta Region records more HIV cases in 2009

Ho, Dec. 17, GNA - A total of 3,309 out of 75,508 people who tested for HIV in the Volta Region between January and October 2009 were positive.

This represented a 4.38 percent increase on the 2,980 positive cases out of 71,270 people who undertook the test in 2008.

These were contained in a report the GNA obtained from the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The report said out of the positive cases for January to October, 950 were men and 2,359 were women.

In 2008, 2,138 women tested positive to HIV as against 842 men.

The report, which Mr. Joseph Kwami Degley the Regional Coordinator of HIV AIDS and Tuberculosis for the GHS compiled, said 392 pregnant women tested positive for the virus in the year under review.

Out of this number 319 are attending Ante-Natal Clinic (ANC) and receiving Nevirapine, a drug meant to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

Mr Degley advised HIV positive pregnant women who are not attending the ANC to do so in order to protect their unborn babies against the virus.

He said stigmatization was gradually reducing as more people were testing to know their status.

GNA