Kadjebi records increases in HIV/AIDS cases

The Kadjebi District in the Oti Region has recorded 66 new HIV/AIDS cases as of June 2021 compared with 51 cases recorded in the same period in 2020.

Out of 4,763 people tested for HIV, including 1,690 males and 3,173 females by June 2021, 66 people tested positive for HIV.

The number includes 46 females and 20 males.

During the same period in 2020, 4,907 were tested for HIV, including 1,734 males and 3,173 females with 51 positive cases.

Currently, 505 patients are on treatment.

Madam Sophia Senam Zoryiku, the District Public Health Nurse, disclosed these to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Kadjebi District Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) mid-year performance review meeting at Kadjebi.

Madam Zoryiku, who did a presentation on behalf of the Family Health Unit, described the situation as scary and urged partners to be faithful to each other or use condoms.

She called on the stakeholders to help curb maternal and child mobility by stopping home delivery and encouraging visits to health facilities for medical attention.

Madam Zoryiku said within the period under review, the district recorded 952 live births with 51 having less than 2.5kg weight as against 817 live births with 47 having weight less than 2.5kg in the mid-year of 2020.

Mr. Derick Atitsu, the District Disease Control Officer, said the mandate was to investigate all suspected cases of public health, monitor priority diseases, and other cases, investigate and report on suspected cases, collect and collate data on communicable diseases, among others.

Mr. Atitsu said within the period under review, they recorded eight Buruli Ulcer cases and 19 Tuberculosis (TB) cases, involving 15 men and four women.

He mentioned resistance to some services, reduced patronage of services, dependence on commercial motorbikes for outreach by some facilities, delayed release of supportive funds for staff, inaccurate reporting at some facilities, among others as challenges affecting the Disease Control and Surveillance Unit.

Miss Fafali Doe, the District Nutrition Officer, said they aimed to promptly detect all cases of malnutrition among children less than five years and appropriately manage them, to increase Vitamin A coverage from 51 percent to at least 55 percent by the end of June 2021 for children between 6-59 months.

Miss Doe advised lactating mothers to do six months of exclusive mandatory breastfeeding to help keep their babies healthy.

She said breast milk contained important antibodies that help fight off viruses and bacteria.

Madam Mavis Atisu, the District Mental Health Officer, said according to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Situational Analysis, many Ghanaians are living with undiagnosed mental illness.

She said, “it is estimated that of the 21.6 million people living in Ghana, 650,000 are suffering from severe mental disorder and a further 2,166, 000 are suffering from moderate to mild mental disorder and the treatment GAP is 98 percent of the total population.”

Madam Atisu said within the period under review, the Mental Health Unit recorded 47 epilepsy cases as against 30 cases recorded last year.