Nine members Central Regional GAC Committee inaugurated

By Afedzi Abdullah / Lordia Aggrey- Otoo, GNA

Cape Coast, June 21, GNA - A nine -member reconstituted Central Regional Committee of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has been inaugurated with a task to members to work towards zero HIV infection, discrimination and AIDS related deaths.

The Committee has Mr Kwamena Duncan, Central Regional Minister as Chairman, with Dr Alex Nang-Beifubah, Regional Director of Health Services, Mrs Jane Sabina Obeng, Regional Education Director and Mr. Emmanuel Obemah of the Christian Council as members.

The rest are Nana Kodwo Kru II,  representative of the Regional House of Chiefs, Mrs Joana Fynn of  National Association of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NAP+), Alhaji Salisu, representative of the Federation of Muslim and Ahmadiyya Mission, Mr William Mends from the  Ghana AIDS Network (GHANET) and Mr William Yeboah, Technical Support Unit of GAC.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Thomas Adjei Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minster underscored that Districts and Regional committees of the Commission were integral to the expanded efforts to address the effects of HIV/AIDS in the country.

He said though Ghana had made impressive progress in its response to the fight against HIV/AIDS, such achievements stemmed from shared priorities and committed leadership which could not be overlooked.

He therefore appealed to the members to work in unity as a formidable team devoid of complacencies to further consolidate the successes chalked over the past years.

Mrs Victoria Hajar, a Governing Board Member of GAC said, the Commission's mission was aimed at ensuring that infected persons become aware of their status with 90 percent of them receiving sustained anti-retroviral therapy by 2020.

Again, 90 percent of those receiving antiretroviral therapy were expected to receive viral suppression by 2020.

Achieving such goals, she said was necessary to position the country favourably towards ending AIDS by 2030 in line with the UN sustainable Development Goals.

She said Government was working to establish national HIV/AIDS fund to sustain and advance national response amid dwindling donor support.

Mrs Hajar implored members to support government in its drive to achieve the set targets set and to further bring the HIV prevalence which stood at 1.67 down.

Mr William Kweku Yeboah, Central Regional Technical Coordinator of GAC called on the Government to support and make the required resources and logistics available for the committee to work effectively and efficiently.

GNA

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