Annual Programme of Work 2005 - Ministry of Health

• Guidelines for implementing adolescent services in health institutions developed
• 20% of health institutions with adolescent corners
Control of Communicable Diseases
HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention and Control
HIV/AIDS prevalence has increased marginally from 3.4% in 2002 to 3.6% in 2004. At
the current level, the HIVAIDS prevalence in the country is lower than the levels in
Eastern, Central and Southern African countries. However, the HIV/AIDS prevalence is
dangerously close to the 5% level at which an exponential increase in prevalence may
occur. Notably, HIV/AIDS prevalence above the 5% mark has already been recorded in
Central and Eastern regions and in 5 of the 29 sentinel sites, thus creating an uneasy
calmness about the relatively low levels of HIV/AIDS.
A window of hope for consolidating the low levels of HIV/AIDS nevertheless exists in
the country. The HIV prevalence among adolescents is decreasing. Synergies for keeping
this relatively low level in the population could be derived from the greater emphasis the
health sector is giving to adolescent health issues. The Ghana AIDS commission has just
coordinated a national response for HIV/AIDS and is preparing a revised national
strategic framework. Ghana has also adopted the WHO 3 by 5 initiative as the framework
for scaling up HIV/AIDS, prevention, treatment and control. A workplace policy on
HIV/AIDS has been developed and disseminated.
The focus within this broad framework will be to reduce transmission through scaling up
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission,
condom use and STI treatment. Concurrently, access to treatment, care and support will
also be increased. Collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and other
stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and control will be strengthened in this
regard. The HIV/AIDS programme will target high risk groups with services.
Priority activities would include:
• Establish at least one ARV treatment centre in each region
• Establish 240 VCT/PMTCT sites and provide VCT/PMTCT services
• Train public and private health institutions in the management of STI and
opportunistic infections
• Manage sentinel sites and provide evidence for policy on HIV/AIDS
• Implement a programme to generate demand for VCT, PMTCT, condom use and safe
sexual practices
• Target high risk groups with HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services
Expected Output/Results
• 10 sites for ART established, 1 in each region
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