It also expressed happiness for the honour conferred on the First Lady as the country’s premiere HIV/AIDS Ambassador by the United Nations to lead the advocacy on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Mr Richard Kofi Boahen, the Executive Director of the NGO who gave the congratulatory message in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, called on the First Lady to use her good office to create enabling environment for the local pharmaceutical companies to go into the production of anti-retroviral drugs.

He said Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies had the capacity to manufacture anti-retroviral drugs if they were provided with the needed support. This would end the high cost of importation of the drugs.

“This will also not only ensure the availability the drugs but will also put the country in the lead in the fight against the HIV/AIDS in West Africa,” Mr Boahen added. He also added his voice to the call for the establishment of a new HIV Fund to augment efforts by the Ghana AIDS Commission in fighting the menace.  The Executive Director noted that donor support to the Ghana AIDS Commission had reduced considerably and the government ought to devise ways to properly resource the Commission to carry out its mandate.

Mr Boahen expressed concern that HIV/AIDS education in the country had gone down, with new infections surging, and called on the First Lady to team up with relevant institutions to map out strategies for effective control of the disease.He pledged the unflinching support of his NGO in carrying out health related programmes and activities to help improve on the health status of the populace.