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Second national conference on HIV and AIDS Research to be
held in March
Accra, Feb. 12, Ghanadot/GNA - The second
National HIV and AIDS Research Conference (NHARCON) will be
held in Accra in March to provide a platform for
participants to discuss national response to HIV and AIDS
and initiate a process of developing research priorities.
The conference, which will be under the theme “Sustaining a
Comprehensive National Response to HIV and AIDS” and
organized by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), will bring
together over 400 participants comprising national and
international researchers, policy makers and implementers to
also share knowledge and experiences with Ghanaian
counterparts to enhance learning.
The first HIV/AIDS research conference was held in Accra in
February, 2004 under the theme HIV and AIDS Research:
Challenge for National Response’
Speaking at a media launch in Accra on Tuesday, Dr Sylvia
Anie-Akwetey,
Director of Policy, Planning,
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of GAC said the
conference will focus on HIV prevention, women and other
vulnerable groups, treatment, care and support, law and
ethics.
The conference, which will have four main tracks in the
areas of social sciences, epidemiology and basic science,
clinical practice and interventions and best practices would
also have seasoned national and international experts with
up-to-date knowledge in their fields of endeavour from
Ghana, South Africa, Canada, United States and Switzerland.
She said the research conference was in accordance with the
goals of the National Strategic Framework for 2006 -2010,
which aimed at reducing new infections among vulnerable
groups and the general population, mitigating the impact of
the epidemic on the socio-economic system as well as
infected persons and promotes healthy lifestyles, in the
area of sexual and reproductive health.
Professor Fred T. Sai, Presidential Advisor on HIV and AIDS,
Reproductive Health and Population issues said research was
vital in the fight against HIV and AIDS since its findings
would determine why women were said to be vulnerable and why
some group of people responded to what treatment being
offered and why other did not.
He expressed concern about the low level of media
participation in HIV and AIDS issues and urged them to
exhibit high level of concern adding “the fight against HIV
and AIDS can never be successful without the role of the
media”.
Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, Director-General of the Ghana
AIDS Commission answering questions on the involvement of
the traditional medicine practitioners who claim to have had
a cure for HIV and AIDS said the identified and recognized
ones were going to be part of the conference and the
Ministry of Health would also hold another training
specifically on traditional medicine immediately after the
NHARCON conference.
On whether the distribution of five million condoms during
the just ended Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament
was successful and served its purpose, the GAC
Director-General said reports indicated that four million
condoms were distributed in Accra, Cape Coast, Takoradi,
Kumasi and Tamale, hotels and some selected media houses.
He refuted the fears and concern by the general public that
the distribution of the condoms was to promote promiscuity
and added that “Whether we like or not people had sex and
all that we wanted to do was ensure that such people were
protected”.
Mrs Oboshie Sai-Coffie Minister of Information and National
Orientation who chaired, reiterated that the fight against
HIV and AIDS was the a multi sectoral one which demanded the
minds and hands of each and every one and added that there
was a political force led by President John Agyekum Kufuor
“and that should be enough to show the seriousness the
government attach to the fight”.
GNA
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