HIV/AIDS cases up in Agona West Municipality
HIV/AIDS cases in the Agona West Municipal increased from 141 in 2009 to 325 in 2010, Mr Emmanuel Kweku Tetteh, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) has said.
According to him, the prevalence rate also increased from 1.9 per cent in 2009 to 3.4 per cent in 2010.
Mr Tetteh announced this at a durbar of Chiefs and Queen mothers of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area after a four-day training workshop for 33 paralegals in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region.
He said the Municipality also recorded 685 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2009 but it reduced slightly to 562 in 2010.
The workshop, organized by FIDA-Ghana, ( Federation of Women Lawyers), aimed at training relevant interventionists, including Police officers and health personnel, to protect rights of women and children.
Mr Tetteh said the reproductive health indicators did not favour the Municipality, especially in the areas of teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality and unsafe abortion.
Mr Tetteh, therefore, tasked opinion leaders and parents to support programmes meant to promote reproductive rights to enhance the dignity of children in difficult conditions and disadvantaged women.
Mr Tetteh expressed optimism that domestic violence, rape and defilement cases would be dealt with legally without fear or favour.
He said the paragraph 18 of the 1993 Vienna Declaration states that the Human Rights of Women and the Girl-Child are integral and indivisible part of universal human right.
According to MCE, the declaration further stated that child abuse and all forms of sexual harassment and exploitation, including those resulting from cultural practices contrary to the dignity and worth of the human person must be stopped and eliminated.
Ms Benedicta Oboshie, an Executive Officer of FIDA-Ghana, said the paralegal programme had come at an opportune time and expressed the hope that it would be used to advance the rights of women and children.
She appealed to the traditional leaders to assist the paralegals in ensuring that cases of rape and defilement were sent to the law court rather than settling them at home.
Nana Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku X, Omanhene of Nyakrom Traditional Area, appealed to the Agona West Assembly to assist the paralegals and health personnel to champion the cause of women and children.
Source: GNA