Dr McDamien Dedzo, Central Regional Deputy Director of Public Health announced that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the region had dropped further to 2.5 percent in 2006. He said the region with a population of more than two million people recorded a rate of 3.5 percent in 2004, which dropped to 2.9 percent in 2005. Dr Dedzo said the region by 2006 recorded a cumulative number of 7,168 HIV/AIDS cases from 1,844 cases in 1988 and that 730 new HIV/AIDS positive cases were detected last year. Dr Dedzo, was giving an overview of the AIDS situation in the region, at a ’mid-year regional review meeting on HIV/AIDS control programme’, attended by more than 80 participants drawn from the Ghana Education Service (GES), NGO’s, Ghana Health Service (GHS) and district assemblies at Cape Coast. It was among others, aimed at reviewing the performance of all stakeholders and to deliberate on issues concerning HIV/AIDS in the region with the view to finding a lasting solution towards achieving quality and better health care. He said last year, 99 health staff in the region were trained in the management of opportunistic and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) 60, for visiting, counselling and testing (VCT) services, whilst 30 midwives were trained in the use of the rapid test kids for HIV and to effectively control the spread of the menace. Mr Ebenezer Koomson, regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator in his presentation stated that during the first six months of the year, a total of 881 clients, comprising 489 females and 392 males were counselled out of which 627 made up of 363 females and 264 males were tested. He said 242 of them comprising 69 females and 73 males were found to be HIV positive. He said some of the challenges militating against the control of the disease were how to reduce stigma and accept AIDS as a chronic disease and the provision of anti-retroviral treatment and care in every district. Mr Ishmael Nana Ogyefo, regional monitoring and evaluation focal person on HIV/AIDS also mentioned some of the challenges encountered during the first half of the year as lack of support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs), weak linkages among the implementing agencies and over reliance of funds from Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC). He observed that the region was making progress in its fight against the pandemic as evidenced in its prevalence rate and that the trend can be sustained if stakeholders strengthen their collaboration at all levels. Mr Michael Essandoh, Chief Director of the Regional Co-Coordinating Council (RCC) in a welcoming address commended the region for its achievement in the reduction of the prevalence rate but cautioned the stakeholders not to be complacent. "You must rather continue working hard to become the region with the lowest prevalence rate in the country". Dr Aaron Offei, Regional Director of GHS, who presided, noted that everybody was still vulnerable to the disease and stressed the need for a collaborated effort to deal with the menace. Source: GNA