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Adolescent programmes need more funding - First Lady

Mrs Lordina Mahama said "for far too long, this area of intervention has suffered neglect by partners on the scale that is required."

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This, she said, would enable African governments to initiate and implement key actions, towards reversing the negative HIV and AIDS trends among adolescents.

"For far too long, this area of intervention has suffered neglect by partners on the scale that is required."

Mrs Mahama, who was speaking at the launch of the United Continental "All-in" adolescent HIV campaign as part of their three-day Seventh Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights, urged her colleagues to take advantage of their unique positions in the society to implement the standards in the fight.

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The programme was also attended by First Ladies from Kenya,Chad, Mali, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau.

The "All-in" campaign is focused on engaging, mobilizing and empowering adolescents as leaders and actors of social change and improving data collection to better informed programming.

It would also encourage innovative approaches to reach adolescents with essential HIV services adapted to their needs and place adolescents HIV firmly on the political agenda to spur concrete action and mobilize resources.

The First Lady expressed dissatisfaction at the slow reduction figures in new infections among adolescents adding that the girls were the most affected.

"Yet data specific to the adolescent age groups,10-14 and 15-19 is almost non-existent... And you and I have to do something quickly."

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Mrs Mahama said although AIDS related deaths were declining in most of the age groups the same could not be said of adolescents thus between the ages of 10 and 19 making it the leading cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of deaths among adolescents globally.

She appealed to the traditional authorities to lend their support for the fight against the disease particularly among the adolescents throughout the country.

Dr Angela El-Adas, Director General of the Ghana AIDS commission, said Ghana has been able to reduce new infections by over 56 percent over the years as opposed to the global increase of new infections.

She said research shows that girls between the ages of 15 and 24 had multiple partners and unprotected sex and thereby exposing themselves to the risks involved in their practices.

Lack of access to services, she said, contributed immensely to the high prevalence adding that "those who are informed make better choices."

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There were messages from other First Ladies pertaining to the countries and various initiatives were adopted to help curb the spread of the disease.

Source: GNA

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