Sissala Research Committee

Rasmus Bo Hansen, IMCC, Roskilde University, 2007

This study is about the perception of Voluntary HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing (VCT) among people living in the Sissala East District, which is situated in the northwestern part of Ghana. VCT is a national intervention towards prevention of HIV/AIDS. Sissala East District is present the only district in the region without a VCT centre. I got to know of this problem area due to my 16 month as a volunteer at the IMCC primary health project in Ghana, were I worked as an integrated part of the District health administration. The study makes use of focus group interviews and key-informant interviews. It is a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach together with theories from UNAIDS and empowerment theories from medical sociology. Many recommendations emerge from the results concerning the areas: Education and sensitisation of people, structures, education of health staff, economy and moving the service closer to the people.

Dr Juan Alberto Sanchez, Gyneacologist, Tumu Hospital, Dr Angela Londres General Physician, Tumu Hospital, Alex K. Bapula, Tumu-District Health Admninstration, 2005.

The available medical records for the year 2003/2004 of the Tumu hospital annual reports revealed that STDs cases had increased among young people between ages 15to 25years. Hence this study therefore intended to assess the level of knowledge/ awareness of STDs and how to prevent STDs. Most of the respondent's age was between 15-19 years. HIV/ AIDS, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis were most mentioned. The knowledge about signs and symptoms as well as the complications of STDs was very low. Knowledge on how to prevent STDs among respondents was very high.

Claus Peter Hansen, Solvej Skriver Petersen, Mads Falk, Sara Krüger (IMCC), 2005.

The community members generally had good knowledge about the clinic at the services available at the clinic, however they still do not patronise the Clinic very much. The most feared diseases were snakebite, malaria, hernia, diarrhoea among other diseases. Generally the most feared diseases can be treated at the clinic. The community  members gave clear descriptions of symptoms, but they could not always relate to symptoms to the scientific descriptions of the same illnesses that are used at the clinic.

From the recent HIV sentinel sites report, the prevalence rate of the West Region is 2.6%. However reports from the Tumu hospital indicate that out of 450 clinical cases including blood donors that were screened for HIV, 22 (4.8%) of the cases were found to be positive. There has not been any documented information on the level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS among the people of Tumu. Secondly many HIV/AIDS campaigners are sensitizing on the disease but their efforts seem to be duplicated due to lack of proper coordination.