An anti-HIV activist has appealed to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and the Environment to rescind its directive to Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies to set aside 0.5 per cent of their share of the Common Fund instead of the usual one per cent for HIV/AIDS programmes.
Mr Eric Akobeng, Gomoa West HIV/AIDS Focal Person, said a cut down on the allocation could be detrimental to programmes to curb the spread of the virus.
Addressing a forum at Gomoa Ankamo to mark World AIDS Day Mr Akobeng said "we should not be deceived to believe that the recent drop in median prevalence rate from 3.2 per cent in 2006 to 2.6 per cent in 2007 mean that we are on the verge of eradicating the virus."
"It is dangerous to be complacent because the median prevalence rate keeps on fluctuating."
He said in 2004 the rate was 3.5 per cent, it dropped to 2.7 per cent in 2005 and again shot up to 3.2 per cent in 2006 and again dropped to 2.6 per cent in 2007.
Mr Akobeng expressed regret that political parties did not say how they were going to handle HIV/AIDS issues during their campaigns and appealed to the new government to sustain and improve on the current response to the virus.
He spoke against stigmatization and discriminating against people living with the virus and said such attitudes were counter productive to the fight against the disease.