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 Wednesday 16 June 2010
 
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Country Profile: Ghana
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AIDS Programmes
National Strategic Framework: 2006-2010; see also 2001-2005

Epidemiological Assessment:
Policy on HIV testing and treatment
The National HIV/AIDS Policy states that voluntary testing should be provided in a non-stigmatizing environment. It aims to encourage vulnerable groups to undergo regular voluntary testing and seek early diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The policy states that, except for blood donors and people showing symptoms suggesting AIDS, testing for HIV/AIDS should not be performed routinely or without the knowledge of the individual. Guidelines for managing sexually transmitted infections and opportunistic infections have been developed, and guidelines for the provision of antiretroviral therapy are being developed. On 1 December 2004, the President announced a commitment to provide highly subsidized antiretroviral therapy to everyone in need and to expand voluntary counselling and testing sites.

Critical issues and major challenges
Human resource capacity is the major bottleneck for scaling up the national HIV/AIDS response, both the numbers of health care workers and technical capacity. Ghana suffers from high turnover of highly skilled personnel, as the emigration rate is high. Services for voluntary counselling and testing need to be scaled up. Other areas that need strengthening include legal and ethical policy, including legal protection for people living with HIV/AIDS; and the establishment of links and referral systems between the public sector and civil society.

HIV/AIDS Organisations
  Ministry of Health, National AIDS Commission
Contact person: Eric Pwadura, communications and public relations officer Tel: +233 21 782 262/63
Location: P.O. Box M44
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 782 264
  Email:
  Web: www.ghana.gov.gh
What we do:
  Ghana AIDS Commission
Contact person: Dr Addo Tel: +233 21 678 456
Location: +233 21 678 459
  Fax: +233 21 662 691
  Web: www.ghana.gov.gh
What we do:
  ActionAid Ghana
Contact person: Tel: +233 21 224 788
Location: P.O. Box AN19083
Accra-North, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 764 930
  Email:
  Web: www.actionaidghana.org
What we do: Implementing and supporting HIV/AIDS programme and activities within the northern part of Ghana and neighbouring border countries of Togo and Burkina Faso.
 are International
Contact person: Samuel Duh Tel: +233 21 226 001
+228 263 610
Location: P.O. Box C2487
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 764 547
+228 264 084
  Email:
 
What we do: Information; education; information provision; organisational support.
 Friends for Life HIV/AIDS team
Contact person: Bro Bernard K. Sode, director Tel: +233 21 504 066
Location: N.G.O/C.B.O
P.O. Box 9368
Airport-Accra, Ghana		 Mobile: +233 27 718 260
  Email:
  Web:
What we do:
 Ghana Assistance Programme
AIDS Commission
Contact person: Rodger Vanderpuije Tel: +233 27 759 3037 / 024 3434 204
Location: P.O. Box 7905
Accra-North, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 310 498
  Email:
  Web:
What we do: Advocacy on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; care and support for orphans of HIV/AIDS patients; empowering the youth especially girls through vocational training.
 HIV/AIDS Network (GHANET)
Contact person: John Edem Hini Tel: +233 21 500 851
+233 21 783 923
Location: P.O. Box LG760
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 774 821
+233 21 776 725
  Email:
  Web:  
What we do: A network of NGOs involved in AIDS programming, membership of the Network is between 400-600 through eight associations in the country. The chairman of GHANET also sits on the National AIDS Council.
 Ghana AIDS Volunteers Association
Contact person: Mame Pokouaa Tel: +233 21 246 871
Location: P.O. Box 19952, Accra-North Fax: +233 21 240 087
  Email:
  Web:
What we do: The association has been traveling to remote rural areas to create awareness and to provide home-based care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
 West Africa Project To Combat AIDS and STI
Contact person:  Dr Nzambi Khondé Tel: +233 21 241 452
Location: P.O. Box 710 Achimota
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 233 340
  Email:
  Web:
What we do: Supports a number of basic health services located in underprivileged urban areas, in areas and places of prostitution and along migratory routes. Activities centre on personnel training and STD control, particularly by ensuring access to essential drugs, by providing training, and by supporting community organisations.
 Youth for Action Organisation (YAO)
Contact person: Paul Kwasi Mensah Tel: +233 882 2665
Location: P.O. Box 548, Akim Oda, Ghana Fax:
  Email:
 
What we do: YAO has been involved in creating awareness and encouraging prevention of HIV/AIDS among youth. Using peer group education and counselling, they are spearheading the project "Youth Against AIDS".
 GTZ Regional Aids Programme For Africa
Contact person: Bob Verbruggen Tel: +233 21 763 941
Location: P.O. Box 9698 KA
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 763 440
  Email:
  Web: www.gtz.de
What we do: Technical advice and support to transnational initiatives for HIV prevention; technical and financial support to NGOs; promotion of information exchange; creation of a network of consultants; documentation centre.
 Mother Africa Association and Child Care Organisation (MACCO)
Contact person: Frank Ablorh Tel: +233 21 716 951
Location: Fax: +233 21 712 414
  Email:
  Web:  
What we do: MACCO has been involved in HIV/AIDS advocacy and education campaigns and provides help for people living with HIV/AIDS.
 Save the Children Fund
HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme
Contact person: Vicky T. Okine Tel: +233 21 772 600/1
Location: P.O. Box C976, Cantonments
Accra, Ghana		 Fax: +233 21 772 148
  Email:
  Web:
What we do: Education; prevention; information; work in partnership with local organisations with the view to building and strengthening their capacity in prevention work.
 UNAIDS Country Co-ordinator
Contact person: Warren Naamara Tel: +233 21 238256
Location: Fax: +233 244 330 626
  Email:
  Web:
What we do:
 UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, Chair
Contact person: Dorothy Rozga, UNICEF Tel: +233 21 77 25 24
Location: Fax: +233 21 77 31 47
  Email:
  Web:
What we do:
 UNAIDS Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa
Contact person: Dr Meskerem Grunitzky Bekele, director Tel: +221 869 06 64
Location: P.O. Box 5748
Dakar, Senegal		 Fax: +221 869 06 80
  Email:
  Web:
What we do:
Sources: - he Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
- The World Bank
- World Health Organization
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Country Profiles
- United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 2005. “World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision.” New York.
- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Treatment Map
Adult HIV Prevalence Rate (%): 2.3%
No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 320,000
No. Of HIV Testing & Counseling Sites (Sept. 2006): 311
No. Of People in need of ART (Sept. 2006): 67,000
No. Of People on ART (Sept. 2006): 6,200
No. Of Sites Reportedly Distributing ART (Dec. 2006): 34
No. Of People on ART Public Sector (Dec. 2006): n/a. All ARVs in Ghana are provided by the government, including those in the private sector. The government currently works with 6 private distribution sites located mainly in Accra and Kumasi.
No. Of People on ART Private Sector: n/a
No. Of People on ART in Non-Governmental Programmes: n/a
No. Of People Expected to be on ART (2005 End): target 10,000, close to about 8,000
Front Line Drug Regiment: zidovudine + lamivudine + nevirapine (or efavirenz) or stavudine + lamivudine + nevirapine (or efavirenz)
Second-line regiment: abacavir + didanosine + nelfinavir; or abacavir + didanosine + lopinavir boosted with ritonavir; or stavudine + didanosine + lopinavir boosted with ritonavi
*PMTCT Regimen (Dec. 2006, ): nevirapine. Ghana recently revised its PMTCT guidelines and will be moving to nevirapine-based combination therapy in 2007. Combination therapy will then be prescribed to mothers during pregnancy with a single dose of nevirapine given during labour. Mothers will then continue combination therapy for a week after delivery.
HIV/AIDS Fund Disbursements:
Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund as of Sept. 2006: US$54,853,632
Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP) as of Sept. 2006: nil
Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR During 2005 Fiscal Year: nil

Source: National AIDS Control Porgramme

Indicators
Demographics (United Nations Population Fund):
Population: 22,113,000
Population aged 15-59: 12,227,000
Urban population: 10,242,000
Under 5 mortality per 1000 births: 102
Male life expectancy: 56 years
Female life expectancy: 58 years
Combined average life expectancy: 57 years
Combined average life expectancy 1975-1980: 51.8 years
Education (UNESCO, 2004):
Males with secondary education as percentage of secondary school-age youths: 45 percent
Females with secondary education as percentage of secondary school-age youths: 38 percent
Literacy rates (UNESCO, 2004):
Percentage of literate males aged 15 or older: 81.9 percent
Percentage of literate females aged 15 or older: 65.9 percent
Combined literacy rate for aged 15 or older: 73.8 percent
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