New HIV Infections Among Children Reduced By 76% In Ghana

A new report on the Global Plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive has revealed a marked increase in progress in stopping new infections among children across the Global Plan priority countries in Africa. 

The report outlines that seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa—Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia—had reduced new HIV infections among children by 50 per cent since 2009. Two others—the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe—were also making substantial progress. It highlighted that there were 130,000 fewer new HIV infections among children across the 21 Global Plan priority countries in Africa––a drop of 38 per cent since 2009. 

“The progress in the majority of countries is a strong signal that with focused efforts every child can be born free from HIV,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in a news released send to Savannahnews. “But progress has stalled in some countries with high numbers of new HIV infections. We need to find out why and remove the bottlenecks which are preventing scale-up.” 

With a 76 per cent decline since 2009, Ghana showed the greatest decline in the rate of new infections among children and South Africa showed a 63 per cent decline (24,000 fewer new HIV infections in 2012 than in 2009).

However, the pace of decline in some of the Global Plan priority countries had been slow and in Angola, new HIV infections had even increased. New infections among children in Nigeria––that had the largest number of children acquiring HIV (nearly 60,000 new HIV infections among children in 2012)––remained largely unchanged since 2009. Without urgent action in Nigeria the global target for 2015 might not be reached. 

More pregnant women living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV from being transmitted to their children and for their own health in 2012 than in 2009, with coverage levels exceeding 75 per cent in many countries. Increased coverage had reduced HIV transmission rates from mother to child in most countries whereas Botswana and South Africa had reduced transmission rates to 5 per cent or below. 

“We have the tools required to reach the Global Plan’s goals, and recent data show that we are moving ever closer to their realization,” said Ambassador Eric P. Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. “This month, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced, the one millionth baby will be born HIV-free due to PEPFAR’s support. Now, we must all continue working together to see the day when no children are born with HIV, which is within our reach,” he added. 

The report however also reveals that only half of all breastfeeding women living with HIV or their children received antiretroviral medicines to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. It outlines that breastfeeding was critical to ensuring child survival and strongly emphasized the urgent need to provide antiretroviral therapy during the breastfeeding period. 

More than half of the children eligible for treatment in South Africa and Swaziland now have access. Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe had doubled the numbers of children accessing treatment from 2009 to 2012, the release said. 

While the report outlined that the number of children requiring HIV treatment would reduce as new HIV infections decline, urgent steps needed to be taken to improve early diagnosis of HIV in children and ensure timely access to antiretroviral treatment, it added. 

The number of pregnant women living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy for their own health had increased since 2009. In Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia, more than 75 per cent of the pregnant women eligible received antiretroviral therapy and more than 50 per cent in Kenya, Lesotho, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, the released disclosed. 

Meanwhile, the Global Plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive is an initiative spearheaded by the UNAIDS and the United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which was unveiled in June 2011 at the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS. It has two main targets for 2015: a 90 per cent reduction in the number of children newly infected with HIV and a 50 per cent reduction in the number of AIDS-related maternal deaths. The Plan focuses on the 22* countries which account for 90 per cent of new HIV infections among children. 

This second progress report presents the progress made by the 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and some of the challenges they face in meeting the agreed targets for 2015.

Sheini Mining Concession: Who Owns It?– Journalists Ask

The whole of this mountain is iron ore

The extractive sector particularly gold, iron ore, limestones, diamond mining among others, could be an important source of development for Northern Ghana. In spite of its potential to turn over huge revenue for development and job creation, mining communities continue to suffer from serious environmental cost associated with mineral extraction. 

The wanton destruction of the environment, air and water pollution among others by mining companies has been a matter of concern to many right thinking citizens of this country in recent times culminating in the formation of an interministerial taskforce to deal with the situation. 

While it has been reported over the years that the activities of some mining companies were having negative effects on the environment, the rate of destruction of such activities seemed to be on the ascendancy.

In view of this development, it is important for individuals, groups and organizations with interest in environmental management and sustainability to play an active role in helping stakeholders to ensure that Ghana’s environments were safe even as her mineral resources were exploited. 

Against this background, the Media Advocates for Sustainable Environment (MASE) in partnership with the Rural Media Network (RUMENT) has taken steps to monitor mining activities at Sheini in the Tatale District of the Northern Region to ensure environmental sustainability and to prevent further depletion of the country’s ecological system. 

Thus, one important issue currently being monitored by MASE is the Sheini iron ore that  was discovered in the 1960s and drilling and exploration conducted between 1961 and 1965 by Soviet Geologists covering a very large area of the eastern part of the Northern Region.

That exploration test confirmed that, the Sheini iron ore deposit was the largest, finest and in commercial quantity in the whole of Africa. Other geological surveys had shown that Sheini ironstones react extremely well to a magnetizing reduction roast process, which reduces iron in the form of hematite (Fe2O3) to magnetite (Fe3O4) and ultimately to metallic iron (Feo) and that its quality was uncomparable while its quantity could be extracted continuouly for 100 years.

Spokesperson, MASE

At a press briefing in Tamale, MASE disclosed that information received from sources within Ghana’s Minerals Commission indicated, that the Sheini Iorn Concession had been given out to a joint-venture company through a process that was concealed because there was no wide consultation. 

According to the group, it appeared therefore, that the government had given out the only northern strategic asset without the full involvement of chiefs, communities and stakeholders whose livelihoods would directly or indirectly be affected. 

“This is a cause for concern realizing the imapct of mining on the environment. The failure by the government to let communities, and the general public know, understand and exercise their democratic rights including their right to “free prior informed consent”, compensations and resettlement if any, and the right to prevent conflict arising from the development of the concession are disturbing”, MASE Spokesperson Npong Balikawu lamented.

MASE called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation to tell the people of the Northern Region whether the Sheini Iron Ore deposit had been given out as a concession to a company or not.

It also wanted to know the name of the company, who the managers were and how the selection process was done, stressing “We also want to know what arrangements have been made in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to mitigate any environmental degradation that may occur”.

MASE hinted that a time bomb was waiting to explode in the area if issues relating to Sheini iron ore were not handled transparently and in consultation with the various stakeholders.   

The Media Advocates for Sustainable Environment is a network of environmental journalists formed in 2009 under the auspices of the Rural Media Network and the KASA environmental governance project. The core membership of MASE are environmental reporters and advocates. 

MASE members work to promote best environmental practices for development and also educate people on best sanitation and agricultural practices and climate change issues.

Ken Sagoe Is Going Nowhere –Tamale Youth Declare

Dr. Ken Sagoe, CEO, TTH

“The chiefs are satisfied with his work. Religious leaders have equally praised him. Talk of infrastructural development, increase in specialists and consultants, excellent healthcare delivery and among others. It will take a dynamic and hardworking leader like Dr. Ken Sagoe to achieve all these and the era of we Northerners particularly Dagombas always wanting our own people to head government institutions or departments even when they are not qualified is over”, Spokesperson of the Concerned Youth of Tamale [CYT] has said in reaction to an earlier press statement issued by the Concerned Citizens Association of Tamale.

Speaking to Savannahnews during a build-up to a press briefing in Tamale regarding a recent statement from the CCAT about the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Spokesperson of CYT Ismael Abu minced no words in setting the records straight for Ghanaians and for that matter, citizens of Northern Ghana to know.

He recalled that, as far back as 2007 the CCAT allegedly connived with some hospital officials to oust Dr. Ken Sagoe who was Chief Executive Officer of the hospital over some disagreements. 

As if that was not enough, Mr. Abu said the same CCAT was now calling on Dr. Sagoe again to resign from his position as CEO and also on the Minister of Health to dissolve the Board of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

In their press statement, the CCAT attributed their reasons for asking Dr. Sagoe to resign his position as CEO of the hospital and the Board dissolved due to some reported cases of nurses stealing consumables and the most serious one being a recent case of stolen equipment in the neurosurgical department.

TTH

Among other things, the CCAT also demanded that a full scale investigation into the recent theft of equipment at the neurosurgical unit of the hospital as well as transferring all staff who had served more than seven years. These steps the CCAT believed would help salvage the hospital and inspire confidence among the general public.

But in a sharp rebuttal, the CYT Spokesperson described the position of the CCAT as one shrouded with ulterior motives that would not benefit the entirety of most Northerners and for that matter, residents of Tamale. 

He said if equipment were stolen in a department of the hospital, it was the head of that particular department who should be held responsible or asked to resign from his/her position and not the CEO and the Board.

Mr. Abu urged the leadership of CCAT led by Alhassan Basharu Daballi to always consult the chiefs, religious and opinion leaders of Tamale over sensitive issues bordering on institutions and personalities heading them before going public to seek redress saying, “We [CYT] have the support of the chiefs, religious and opinion leaders and for that matter no one can stop us”.

According to him, under the leadership of Dr. Sagoe, the Tamale Teaching Hospital now have over 70 medical doctors and over 20 medical consultants/specialists who were providing essential and unmatched healthcare services to the people of Northern Ghana who until recently had been denied such services over the years due to the deplorable state of the hospital.

He disclosed to this reporter that, some of the doctors had planned to park bag and baggage and leave their job for other opportunities elsewhere if Dr. Sagoe was forced to resign through the influence of any selfish group or individual and so, Dr. Sagoe was going nowhere.

Chairman, CCAT

When contacted, Mr. Daballi also described statements of the CYT as frivolous and said if there was any group that had a hidden agenda it was the CYT and not the CCAT which he was the chairman.

He emphasised that the mere fact that equipment and other things belonging to the hospital were regularly being stolen by some staff and nothing was done about it raised eyebrows and cited a purported power struggle between Dr. Sagoe and some management staff as one of the reasons why such malpractices continued to exist since 2007 when the CCAT raised concerns over a similar circumstance.  

He agreed with suggestion by the CYT that the head of the neurosurgical unit should be questioned or asked to resign in order to get to the bottom of the matter, but did not agree with the fact that the CEO should not resign and the Board dissolved.  

The Concerned Youth of Tamale during their press briefing also called on the management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital to deal ruthlessly with any staff caught stealing equipment and consumables.

Mr. Abu who addressed the press, noted that much bigger institutions such as the Komfo Anokye and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospitals had more nurses and doctors [two to three times] than the Tamale Teaching Hospital, yet the latter used more consumables than the former, a canker he said was draining the little internally generated revenue of the hospital. 

Meanwhile, a press statement issued and signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital Gabriel Nii Otu Ankrah to the media, said the issue of theft at the neurosurgical unit of the hospital was currently being handled by the Northern Regional Police Crime and Investigation Unit and the Bureau of National Investigation. 

The statement indicated that, management of the hospital had confidence in the security agencies and trust that a good job would be done and the perpetrators brought to book.

Northerners Not Poor Because They Are Lazy –Prof. Amin

Prof. Amin Alhassan

“The people of the Savannah Regions are not poor because they are lazy or unintelligent enough to compete in life; they are poor because of geographic and historical circumstance. ….However, when you mobilize a peoples’ aspirations to be developed, their yearning to escape poverty, and institutionalize the answer to these aspirations into an organization called SADA, stakeholders of SADA’s mandate are bound to expect so much from it. And realistically, most of the expectations from SADA will be exaggerated. I mean we may be asking SADA to deliver what it cannot. But that is also because the yearning to escape poverty is overwhelming.”

 

The aforementioned were the opening statements of Professor Amin Alhassan, Dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences of the University for Development Studies [UDS], Nyankpala campus when he was invited by CLIP to address a two-day conference on the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority [SADA] recently held in Tamale.

According to Prof. Amin, SADA might have to develop a thick skin to take in pressures from the very people on whose behalf it was created, adding that, at the end of the day, SADAs’ record would be evaluated by the people and not government. 

He maintained that, engaging with Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] was therefore not a matter of choice for SADA, but a strategically necessary practice. “We should be able to critique the work of SADA when necessary, praise the work of SADA when due or even mobilize to ask for a review of SADA’s mandate. In any of these options, CSOs are key” he pointed out.

He also argued that, it would be wrong for anyone to conclude that the North was poor because of its weakened vegetative cover, stressing that, increase in agricultural produce in a globalized economy such as Ghana’s does not translate to increase income for farmers and agricultural workers. “We know in Agribusiness that a bumper harvest can actually result in impoverishment of farmers. So let us widen the discussion beyond just agricultural productivity to general conditions that can facilitate an economic takeoff of the North”, he advised.

Prof. Amin also opined that, as an ecologically defined area, Northern Ghana could celebrate its achievements in transport and communication, and probably reserved the best of the celebrations for the next few years when the promise of a Eastern corridor highway from the South to the North, and the reconstruction of the Tamale airport into an international airport would have been delivered. 

He observed that, the road network linking the three most important cities of the North namely; Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa were currently being reconstructed. “Clearly anyone who has recently done the triangular trip of Tamale-Wa-Bolgatanga-Tamale cannot fail to notice what the near future holds for the North. It is what the North is set to become and not what it is today that is most heartwarming when we look at Transport and Communication. An improved transportation infrastructure is a fundamental requirement of an economic-take”, he posited.

Making comparative analyses of the educational sector as well as poverty levels between the North and South of the country, Prof. Amin revealed the following statistics: Average household size in the three regions of the North was about 5.8 persons per household whereas the national average was 4.4 persons; percentage of population living in rural areas in Upper West was 84%, Upper East 79% and 70% for Northern Region whereas the national average was 49%; and the national average of people with no access to toilet facility was 19% but in the North it was 72% or above.

Turning his attention to education, he said the literacy rate among people 15 years and above was national 72%; Upper West 40%; Upper East 41%; and Northern 33%. Junior High School and Senior High School education completion rate: national JHS 31% and SHS 22% whereas three regions of the North JHS 22% and SHS 9%.

Further quoting statistics from IBIS, Prof. Amin said 48% of children of school going age in Northern Ghana were out of school whereas only 10% of primary school kids in Northern Ghana could read. 

He observed that, a very important indicator of quality education was the caliber of teachers the North had, citing that, in Northern Ghana, the ratio of trained teacher-student was 1:130 whereas in the South it was 1:36. “Clearly, these gross disparities are not going to be solved by a process of business as usual. Given our approach to the North-South disparities, I am comfortable at describing the task and mandate given to SADA as mission impossible if it does not engage with CSOs, governmental organizations, and traditional authorities, beyond treating them as mere clientele.”

Prof. Amin also urged SADA to play a policy advocacy role on behalf of the Savannah Regions and described that ideology as policy fight. According to him, it was perfectly possible for SADA to look at central government policy in agriculture, health, education among others and see how the interest of the Savannah Regions was served, and where it saw some serious problems, it could lobby and advocate for policy adjustments.

He said for instance, in 1990, Ghanaian chicken farmers controlled 80% of the domestic market. And then by 2005, it dropped to 34%. But currently, he observed that, the industry was now decimated with local farmers controlling about 10% of the domestic trade saying “When our domestic poultry production accounted for 80% of the Ghanaian market, the small-scale farmer could also count on the value of his few birds to keep him out of poverty in the lean season”, Prof. Amin reckoned.

According to him, it was against this backdrop that several CSOs with ISODEC being a key actor, lobbied government to include a 40% tariffs on imported chicken in the 2003 budget. “The budget was passed but the government refused to implement the new import duties on poultry products because the IMF and World Bank would not allow. The Civil Society initiative failed partly because there was no one at the governmental level to also do what I call the policy fight within government”, he recalled. 

Under the theme: “Towards the Successful implementation of SADA –The Role of CSOs” the conference was intended to bring together various Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, Farmer Based Organisations, government departments and agencies among others, to perhaps brainstorm and come out with strategies that would help the management of SADA to effectively implement their programmes.

The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority [SADA] was established by an Act of Parliament [Act 805, 2010] as an independent and autonomous statutory corporate body to: provide a framework for the comprehensive and long-term development of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone and to provide for related matters. 

SADA covers the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, and areas contiguous to these regions as may be determined by the Authority. The contiguous areas are the Northern parts of Volta and Brong-Ahafo Regions.

Since its inception in 2010, there had been concerns raised by various sections of the public in the operational area of SADA with respect to its activities and the rate at which implementation was progressing. The general perception among CSOs was that the rate of implementation of SADA programmes was slow. This is hardly surprising, considering the huge expectations beneficiaries had of SADA and the fact that many perceived SADA and its programmes as a panacea to the development challenges of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.