The Acting Eastern Regional Technical Coordinator of the Technical Unit of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mr. Ebenezer Appiah Agyekum Abrokwah, has inaugurated a nine-member HIV/AIDS Advocacy Committee at Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District.
The nine-member committee has the District Chief Executive, Joe Sam, as the chairman, Shirley Tiah, the District HIV Focal Person as the Secretary, Emmanuel Nuetey Siakwa, Abraham Martey, Abass Jubilila and Lansah Asumah.
The rest are; Theophilus Agbodjadh, Rev. Devine Nartey and Mrs. Grace Adza–Awude.
The committee is aimed at providing advocacy for HIV and AIDS prevention and control and to foster linkages among stakeholders, towards the reduction of the menace in the district.
Available statistics from the Ghana AIDS Commission indicate that 12,758 HIV/AIDS related deaths were recorded in the country last year.
Out of the number -nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six (9,796) were adults whilst two thousand nine hundred and sixty-two (2,962) were children between the ages of zero and fourteen (0-14).
According to Mr. Abrokwah, adults living with HIV in last year alone were three hundred and seventeen thousand, four hundred and ten (317,410) whilst twenty eight thousand, seven hundred and ten (28,710) were children.
New infections in adults were also fifteen thousand, two hundred and forty-five (15,245) and three thousand, six hundred and eighty – three (3,683) in children.
Mr. Abrokwah charged the committee to engage local information centres to help disseminate information on HIV and AIDS regularly to educate the populace on the disease.
He said the committee should also ensure that Alert Clubs in schools are revamped and advocacy meetings with local councils of churches and traditional authorities are held.
Mr Abrokwah tasked the committee to follow up on persons who test positive for HIV and engage in stigma reduction activities.
On his part, the Chairman of the Committee, who is also the DCE for the area, Joe Sam, said the formation of the committee is timely.
He said, last year alone, people living with HIV in the district were two thousand and eighty-one (2,081) with new infections being eighty seven (87).
Mr. Sam was optimistic that the committee will do everything possible to change the trend in the district.
In a related development, a man believed to be in his 50’s has been found dead at Mensah-Dawa, a farming community near Asesewa, in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region.
Briefing the media, the District Police Commander, Superintendent John Yeboah said at about 3:40pm on Tuesday 16th November this year, the Chief of Mensah-Dawa, Isaac Kudadji came to report to the police that around 2pm, his two sons went in search of firewood and found a dead body lying in the Dawa-Dor stream in the community.
According to him, the chief said he followed up and found the lifeless body of an unknown man in a decomposed state.
Superintendent Yeboah said the police and NADMO officials went to the scene and saw the body lying naked in the stream, in a supine position, with cotton rope tied around his waist. Inspection conducted on the body revealed no marks of physical assault.
The body has since been moved to the Asesewa Government Hospital Morgue for preservation, identification and autopsy. The Commander said frantic efforts are underway to find the relatives, whilst investigations are underway to ascertain the course of the death.