ALCO donates medical equipment to NACP

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO), a West African sub-region initiative has presented medical materials and consumables worth millions of dollars to the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) to be distributed to health institutions in four towns along the country's borders.

The equipment, which included medical and surgical instruments, apparatus, consumables, sterilization equipments, laboratory materials and refrigeration equipment would be distributed to hospitals in Axim, Elubo, Dzodze and Aflao.

Mr. Fuseini Abu, Procurement Manager of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) presented the set of equipment on behalf of Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoah, Director of GAC, while Miss Phyllis Ocran, Logistics Focal Person of NACP received them.

Mr. Harvey Kaffils, Communication Specialist of ALCO, in a speech before the presentation said, the Corridor Project was an initiative of the Heads of State of Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire to jointly fight the HIV/AIDS menace along the countries' borders.

Mr. Kaffils said the project which started on a pilot phase four years ago with funding from the World Bank, has worn another contract from the Global Fund to expand the project.

He said the presentation would help the recipient hospitals to fight the disease and provide quality health care to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).

Dr. Nii Addo, Coordinator of NACP in a welcoming address said it was the aim of his outfit to bring health care services closer to people, especially PLWHAs.

He said by the end of 2008, it was expected that the current 12,000 people having access to antiretroviral drugs would increase to 25,000.

Dr Addo pointed out that currently, about 91 private and public health facilities nationwide administer the antiretroviral drugs to AIDS patients.

He called on all to help reduce the AIDS prevalence rate in the country in 2008 and promised NACP's continued collaboration with ALCO in the fight against the disease.