OAFLA Commends First Lady For Mother And Baby Unit Projects

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 29, GNA - First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo's initiative of mobilising local resources of 2.5 million dollars to build a Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has been applauded at the ongoing 20th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organisation of Africa First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

She said the mobilisation of domestic fund for the project was due to the fact that, external funds to help address HIV and AIDS issues and programmes were dwindling.

Mrs Akufo-Addo was addressing other First Ladies and the Partners of OAFLA, including UNAIDS, at the Assembly. Her speech was interspersed with applauses from the gathering.

She said as the Government of Ghana continues to work on a policy initiative on Ghana beyond aid, she demonstrated to that new direction and raised the funds within five months through a national campaign to construct a Mother and Baby Unit at one of the biggest Regional Hospitals.

'This state of the art facility will also contribute to the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV and ultimately reduce maternal and child mortality' she noted.

She said soon after becoming the First Lady, in January 2017, she joined the OAFLA and became the Premier Ambassador of Ghana for HIV Advocacy, Elimination of Mother to Child HIV Transmission, Keeping Mothers Alive and the Empowerment of Young Women and Adolescent Girls for Ghana.

'Within a year, as First Lady, I have created healthy productive working relations with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), which coordinates all HIV activities in the country. Consequently we have undertaken a number of activities', she said.

She said Ghana had through the GAC, set up a task team to implement a two-year OAFLA Ghana Chapter Plan, aligned to the OAFLA Strategic Plan 2014-2018.

Mrs Akufo-Addo said Ghana had also implemented the 'Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV and Reproductive Health Campaign' and that, one of her most fulfilling moments was meeting with HIV positive mothers, as part of her advocacy for the elimination of mother to child transmission.

She said in terms of access to services, Ghana had more than 2,700 facilities, where pregnant women could receive the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV Services.

'We have had significant success as a result. Nonetheless we in Ghana realize we need to do more to ensure zero infection'.

She said in August last year and with funding support from Alere, she organised the 'Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV and Reproductive Health Campaign' in the Volta Region, adding that, the Volta Region was currently the region with the highest burden of HIV.

'I personally went through counselling and testing to encourage others to do so.

We were able to reach about 4,500 community members, with services ranging from distribution of condoms, information and education and HIV and health screening.

'I also engaged with various stakeholders, who all resolved to ensure that no baby is born HIV positive' she noted.

The 20th Ordinary General Assembly of the OAFLA held within the side-lines of the Africa Union Summit ongoing in Addis Ababa, opened on Saturday 27 and ends on Monday 29 January.

It has the theme: 'Transforming Africa through Prioritising Children, Adolescents and Mothers in the Fight against HIV'.

Members of OAFLA also used the occasion to launch a new campaign, dubbed, 'Free to Shine' which is aimed at directing a new path of commitment towards the prevention of HIV infections among children, adolescents and mothers.