A new survey conducted by the Ghana AIDS Control Programme reveals urban areas in the country have the highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS.
This was made known at a programme held for journalists and other interest groups ahead of the publication of the 2013 surveillance results of the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.
It is estimated that about 1.85 percent of Ghana’s population is infected with the disease.
The disease is most prevalent in Eastern and Volta regions of the country with the Northern regions recording the lowest, according to the survey.
A total of 14,000 people died from HIV/AIDS in 2012 while 12,073 new infections were recorded in the same year.
However, the acting Programme Manager for the National AIDS Control programme, Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, has said analysis of Ghana’s prevalence rate shows an increase in prevalence rate in urban areas.
He attributed the increase in HIVAIDS prevalence to high levels of social interaction, population growth, biological factors among others.
“HIV follows roots of commerce, places where there is intense commercial activity”, he said, adding that sex workers are also a contributing factor to HIV/AIDS prevalence.
However, an estimated HIV prevalence rate presented by the National AIDs and Sexually STI [Sexually Transmitted Infection] control programme revealed that there has been a decline in prevalence rate from 1.85 percent to 1.3 percent in 2013.
