The weeklong West African Health Organization (WAHO) Forum on HIV/AIDS jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the National AIDS Secretariat has ended at the Hotel Bintumani in Freetown.
The Forum which is centered on Coordination and Advocacy for HIV and AIDS Treatment Programmes in countries in post conflict situations targets Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia.
Addressing delegates, Health and Sanitation Minister, Mrs. Abator Thomas noted that the three countries are in a post conflict situation, stressing the need for them to strengthen their capability in tackling emerging diseases in the region.
She also reiterated the need for donor government funds to be judiciously utilized with a view to ensuring effective service delivery in all three countries health sector plan for the treatment and control of HIV and AIDS.
Commenting on the Forum’s objectives, the Minister said it aimed at creating a sub regional consensus on the analysis of the situation of the disease at country level within the gaps in the various programme areas.
Dilating on the Sierra Leone situation, Mrs. Thomas told her audience that 1,004 have died as at June 2006 from HIV/AIDS related illnesses, pointing out that government is doing everything humanly possible to avert the spread and called on her compatriots to adhere to the Regulations and policies of the National AIDS Secretariat and all relevant instructions from WHO, UNAIDS and international NGOs and other health partners.
The minister noted that though the Sierra Leone situation is not all that alarming but economically and medically it is point of concern since the prevalence rate is growing gradually with it now being at 1.53 per cent as per a recent survey conducted.
Mrs. Thomas said she is however optimistic in achieving success for her country if the programmes outlined for the one week deliberations are positively utilized for posterity. With this development, the sister republics would also benefit said the minister.
In addition, such achievements would also greatly assist in reaching one of the targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Hon. Minister noted.
Making his remarks, the Acting Director of the National AIDS Secretariat in Sierra Leone, Dr. Brima Kargbo said that despite the increasing international response to the epidemic, it continues to take devastating toll of the West African sub region, adding that one in every 13 Africans between the ages 15 and 49 is now HIV positive.
The disease he lamented, spares no sector or stratum of our societies, and was spreading so rapidly that it threatens to destabilize human resource development and economic productivity.
Dr. Kargbo while commenting on the diversity and severity of health issues affecting West Africa, stressed the need for the harmonization of health policies, practices and standards among ECOWAS member States.
He observed that the absence of a unified and collaborative approach to combating major health problems at sub regional level, gains made by local and national level campaigns would remain reversible.
The Deputy Director General of WAHO, Prof. Mousa Maiga advocated for high political leadership commitment in all African States, adding that recommendations, suggestions and contributions on key issues during the weeklong Technical session would be recorded for onward transmission to the ECOWAS Executive Office in Abuja, Nigeria.
JAK | MOHS | SLENA
