Free SHS reduced HIV infections, pregnancy among girls by 50% – AIDS Commission boss

The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, has credited the Free Senior High School policy for the 50% drop in HIV infection and teenage pregnancy cases in the country.

According to him, the policy has enabled more girls to enrol in secondary schools.

He cited the data from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), which showed that Ghana recorded 16,574 new HIV infections in 2022, compared to 16,938 in 2021.

This means a 2% decrease in the new infection rate, according to a news report by asaaseradio.com.

“We know that when girls stay in school up to secondary school level, it helps to bring the number of pregnancies down. And that is a sign that we are seeing in relation to the introduction of the Free SHS, which has increased the number of enrollment of girls in secondary schools. The trends have a strong link to the Free SHS policy,” he stated.

He added that staying in school until secondary level also protects girls from HIV infections.

Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene said that this alone cuts down the infection rates among girls by up to 50%.

“We also know that when girls remain in schools up to secondary school level, that alone is protective, so far as HIV infection is concerned, that alone reduces infection among these girls by as much as 50%,” he said.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

About Elvis Anokye

Check Also

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah Charges New Working Group to Tackle and Combat Pervasive Corruption

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has officially launched a high-powered working group tasked with crafting …

Equip Youth with Right Skills to Unlock Job Creation- Chief of Staff Urges

Story by Phalonzy Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has issued a clarion call to Ghanaian …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *