A total of 21,828 children between the ages of 0-14 are currently living with HIV/AIDs in Ghana. The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Prof Sekyi Awuku Amoah revealed this to SundayWorld during an interview.
Prof Awuku Amoah who, is saddened by the huge number of infected children said efforts are however being made to reduce the high rate of infection.
The Director General explained that the children got infected through mother and child transmission. He said women and girls constitute 63 percent of all infections in the country therefore mother to child transmission of the virus is very high.
According to him most pregnant mothers who refuse to test for the HIV virus but really have the disease end up transmitting it through breastfeeding to their children. Prof. Awuku Amoah said measures are being taken to minimize the infection rate by making it mandatory for pregnant mothers to test for the virus.
He explained that during antenatal checks, pregnant women are tested to ensure that those who are infected will have their babies protected even at delivery. After delivery the mothers are advised not to breastfeed the babies but resort to baby food.
According to the Director General the greatest challenge the commission faces is how to get antiretroviral drugs for all the infected children.
Prof Awuku Amoah lamented that the antiretroviral drugs in the country are woefully inadequate for HIV/AID patients in the country.
He said about 71,000 HIV/AID patients in the country are currently waiting to receive treatment but only 10,000 are being put on the antiretroviral drugs.
Source: GhanaWeb
