Ghana's New Money

Kufuor to visit South Africa on Sunday

President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of the African Union, leaves Accra for Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday to attend the opening of the Seventh Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAF).He is scheduled to address the Parliament, the first time ever, by an AU Chairman.A press release signed by the Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Andrew Awuni, said the Session would focus on four major issues - Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Security, NEPAD and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as well as the Union Government of Africa.

The PAP was established in March 2004 in accordance with Article 17 of the Consultative Act of the AU, as one of its organs provided for in the treaty establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1991.The release said whilst in South Africa, President Kufuor would also hold bilateral talks with his South African counterpart, President Thabo Mbeki and other senior Government Officials. He is expected back home on Wednesday, May 9.
Source:GNA

BOG Starts Circulating New Ghana Money Today

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) will this morning launch the new Ghana Cedis and Pesewas at the Bank’s auditorium, High Street Accra. The introduction of the new currency has become necessary as a result of re-denomination of the Ghanaian currency the cedi, which takes effect on July 1, 2007.

When the redenomination takes effect, ¢100,000 would represent the current ¢1,000,000.00 and ¢10,000 the current ¢100,000, while the current ¢10,000 would be the same as ¢1.00 within the new currency.According to the Ghana Central Bank however, the quantity and quality of goods that an equivalent of the money in circulation now can purchase would be the same as what the new cedi currency which would be launched tomorrow would be able to procure, hence the refrain that has run through adverts aired and played on air for some months now.Officials of the bank say the added advantage of the new currency is that it would be less cumbersome to carry and also enhance business transactions while maintaining the value of the Ghanaian cedi.

As to whether the new currency would match up with the major currencies of the world, Esi Hammond of the Public Relations Unit, Bank of Ghana asserted that the rate of exchange would still be determined by the market foraces of demand and supply. “It is not the redenomination or re-calibration of the cedis that would check prices and thus influence inflation but the interplay of sound macro-economic practices.Fiscal discipline is needed and when monetary policies go haywire that brings about inflation, but when government does its part and does not overspend, that checks rise in inflation which has been kept steady for a while,” the BoG official stated.
Source:GHP

Princess Ann's Visit in Pix

Bird Flu Surfaces In Ghana

Ghana's first case of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed by local laboratories and a U.S. naval laboratory in Egypt, a World Health Organisation official said on Wednesday.
Some 1,600 birds had already been incinerated at the infected chicken farm 20 km (13 miles) east of the capital Accra near the port of Tema, Dr Harry Opata, WHO disease prevention and control officer.

Earlier this week, officials said they were investigating a suspected outbreak of the disease in birds around the prot city of Tema. Though H5N1 had been documented elsewhere in the region, Ghana had not previously had a case confirmed, said Dr. George Amofa, head of public health for Ghana's Health Ministry.

Sophia Twum-Barimah, a spokeswoman for WHO in Accra, said the virus was first detected by a Ghanaian lab and then confirmed by an Egyptian research center.
H5N1 has killed at least 172 people worldwide since it began its spread through Asian poultry in 2003, according to WHO. Most human deaths come from contact with infected birds, but experts fear H5N1 could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people.
Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria, was the first on the continent to report an outbreak of the disease last year. Outbreaks have also been reported in Cameroon, Djibouti, Egypt, Niger, Ivory Coast, Sudan and Burkina Faso.

Ghana had stepped up surveillance to try to prevent incursion of the disease: banning imported poultry and related products from Asia and some neighboring countries, including Nigeria and Ivory Coast.The virus is particularly worrisome in Africa, where poverty and poor health care means disease spreads quickly.In January, a young woman became the first Nigerian to die from H5N1. Djibouti and Egypt have also reported infections in humans and eleven people have died of the disease in Egypt.
Source:GHP

Ghana's May Day in Pictures

2006 HIV Prevalence rises

The 2006 National HIV Prevalence rate is 2.22 (3.2 per cent), an increase in the 2005's prevalence rate of 2.21 (2.7 per cent).A global decision by the United Nations Reference Group on HIV Estimates and Projections comprising WHO, UNAIDS, Future Institutes, United States Census Bureau and the World Bank indicated that a new methodology be used to find the national prevalence rate for HIV by putting together the Demographic Health Survey, Sentinel Survey and the Population Survey to arrive at the National Prevalence.

"With the new methodology, Ghana's HIV Prevalence rate for 2006 is 2.22", Dr Nii Akwei Addo, National Programme Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme said on Monday at the "National Dissemination of the 2006 HIV Sentinel Survey Report, Estimates and Projections of HIV/AIDS in Ghana".He noted that all countries, including Ghana would henceforth calculate their prevalence rate using the new model. The 2006 sentinel survey, saw Eastern region leading with 4.9 per cent followed by Western, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Upper East, Volta and Brong Ahafo with 4.3, 3.7, 3.4, 3.2, 3.0, and 2.8 per cents respectively.Northern region recorded the lowest of 1.3 per cent whilst Central and Upper West Regions recorded 2.5 each respectively.Agomenya, which recorded a decline in 2005 with 6.0 per cent, reverted to its position as the site with the highest prevalence with 8.4 per cent with Nalerigu recording the lowest with 1.0 per cent.

HIV type 1 has since the discovery of the virus in 1986 been the strain with the highest proportion of more than 90 per cent of the infections. HIV type 11 throughout the years has accounted for not more than 1 per cent but showed a slight increase in 2006 survey.The highest prevalence was recorded in the 25 to 29 year group with 4.2 per cent and 40 to 44 year group with 3.3 per cent. The 30 to 34 year group recorded the second highest level of HIV infection with 3.7 per cent with 15 to 19 year group recording the lowest HIV infection with 1.4 per cent.Dr Addo explained that the 15 to 24 age group alone contributed 30 per cent to the total HIV positive cases whilst persons below the age of 35 years contributed 88 per cent of the total positive samples. The new infections were mostly recorded in the 15 to 24 age group. He called for an escalation in efforts to reduce prevalence in the younger age group adding, "it will be the key to reducing the over all prevalence".

He noted the over all HIV prevalence could be said to be at the stabilisation stage with prevalence reverting to the levels recorded in 2004 having dropped for two continuous years at 3.1 and 2.7 in 2005 adding that "analysis by the sentinel sites showed that the prevalence at site level was far from being stable".Dr Addo explained that as access to treatment was increasing, prevalence would rise and said the prevention component of the national response be given higher attention to balance the effect.Mr Silas Quaye, Programme Officer of National AIDS Control Programme said Sexually Transmitted Infections, which had been identified as a co factor in HIV infection and testing for syphilis had been part of the HIV sentinel survey in Ghana since 2004.

He said syphilis prevalence for 2006 saw a decline from 3.6 in 2005 to 3.3 and 5.6 in 2004 with Asikuma Odoben Brakwa in the Central Region leading with 20. 8 per cent.Akim Oda, Assin Fosu, Cape Coast, Sewfi Asafo and Asunafo followed with 19.2, 18.5, 16.4, 16.4 and 12.0 per cents respectively. North Tongu (rural) for the second time has recorded 0.0 per cent. He said syphilis in rural areas were higher than urban areas whilst prevalence was higher in the older age groups of 40 to 44 year group representing 8.1 per cent than the younger age group of 25 to 29 representing 4.6 per cent.Central, Eastern, Western and Ashanti Regions have the highest syphilis prevalence in Ghana and said infection levels needed further investigation especially with its relationship with Yaws and HIV. 30 April 07