Ghana gets Tough on Child traffickers

Ghana's government is to prosecute parents who sell their children to traffickers under a law introduced two years ago. Ghana's child trafficking law was passed in 2005 but has not been strictly enforced.

Ghana's Minister for Women and Children's Affairs said the grace period is now over. It makes it illegal to sell a child or to encourage parents to sell their child. The crime will carry a maximum sentence of ten years.

Zimbabwe to make anti-retroviral drugs more accesible

Zimbabwe plans to put 40,000 more people on anti-retroviral drugs to treat HIV by the end of the year. Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said the number of people receiving ARV's has already increased from 60,000 in December to 80,000 this month.



HIV rates in Zimbabwe are amongst the highest in the world with more than 3,000 people dying every week. However, the country has seen a marked decline in the spread of HIV/AIDs over the past six years.

Nigeria's New President Sworn In

Umaru Yar'Adua is to be sworn in as Nigeria's new president despite widespread claims of electoral fraud. He will take over from current president Olusegun Obasanjo.



Two opposition candidates are challenging the outcome through the courts and trade unions called a two-day strike in protest. Local and international observers said the voting procedures were not credible.

Kufuor visits Fathia Nkrumah

President Kufuor on Monday visited Madam Fathia Nkrumah, Ghana's premier First Lady at the Nile Badrawi Hospital in Cairo, according to The Accra Daily Mail.Madam Nkrumah, 75, President Nkrumah's widow, has been hospitalized at the facility for the past four months for ill-health.At the hospital to receive President Kufuor were Gamel Nkrumah, President Nkrumah's eldest son, senior members of Fathia's family and a senior priest of the Coptic Church.

Gamel Nkrumah, in a brief interview, expressed his family's gratitude to President Kufuor and the people of Ghana and described the President as the gentleman he is reputed to be.President Kufuor wished the former First Lady speedy recovery.The President is in the final leg of his visit that saw him meet with the European Union (EU), the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations; the African Union (AU) and the Arab League.He was to attend the inauguration of President Yar’Adua of Nigeria on Tuesday.