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Family planning, HIV/AIDS testing campaign launched in West Africa

Xinhua, August 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

The West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) has launched a six-day family planing and HIV/AIDS testing campaign along the border between Benin and Togo, an official source has said.

The regional campaign, launched on Sunday in collaboration with KFW, a German financial institution, is aimed at promoting reproductive health and prevention of HIV.

The campaign is also funded by USAID, World Health Organization, UNICEF, United Nations Population Fund and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Togo's Health Minister Napo-Koura Gado said the objective of this regional program is to contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality in the West African member states.

"More specifically, it is aimed at making reproductive health products more secure and to increase demand for reproductive health services," he said.

Beneficiaries of the funds will be public and private sector actors, including social marketing associations as well as organizations involved in promotion of family planing.

Various groups are infected with HIV/AIDS within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

A report released in 2013 by the UNAIDS indicated that there were between 23.5 to 26.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, with about 1.5 million new infections annually, out of which between 180,000 to 250,000 are children.

Among those infected with HIV/AIDS, 58 percent are women.

According to UNAIDS, economic boom in parts of the ECOWAS region has resulted in increased mobility.

The UN agency noted that there was a link between migration of people, illiteracy, poverty, conflict situation or post-conflict situation and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

It noted that some of the reasons causing the spread of the epidemic in West Africa include illiteracy, failure to use protection during sexual intercourse and poverty which makes many people lack access to protection.

The ongoing campaign is a cross-border activity jointly organized by the two neighbouring states for six days; three days on Benin's side of Hilla-Condji and three days on Togo's side of Sanvee-Kondji. Endit