Dr Aysi Addo made the call during a stakeholder meeting in Takoradi, on how to reduce the increasing cases of HIV/AIDS infections among pregnant women and commercial sex workers.

The stakeholder meeting organised by the AIDs Commission, was attended by chiefs, pastors, Imams, NGOs, teachers, Community Base organizations, the media and some selected health workers from the various hospitals in the Region.

Dr Addo pointed out that about 80 percent of HIV/AIDs transmission was through unprotected sexual intercourse and stressed the need for the public to desist from having unprotected sex.

"As we speak, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and it is imperative to educate stakeholders on its prevention in order to intensify public education".

He pointed out that stakeholders had a key role to curb the prevalence rate among Mother to Child HIV/AIDS Transmission.

The Programme Manager explained that in the Western Region, most of the HIV/AIDS cases recorded involved expectant mothers who visited ante natal clinics.

Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, expressed concern that HIV/AIDS prevalence rate was still high in the country and mainly affected people between the ages of 15 and 40 years adding, "We cannot afford to lose lives of citizens to HIV/AIDS in the country".

Mrs Kusi noted that this age group of people comprised the workforce of the country who could help achieve the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda,

 She said the needed resources were provided for all the sixteen regions to help reduce HIV/AIDS infections and its spread.

The Deputy Regional Minister therefore urged health workers to make judicious use of the resources available to curb HIV/AIDS spread and mother to child transmissions.

Dr. Naa Yakubu Mahama, the Regional Director of Health , said in the year under review, the  Western Region recorded 3.1 per cent prevalence while  Central  2.9, Eastern  2.5, Volta  3.0, Ashanti  2.6, Upper east 1.6, Upper west 2.1, Northern  2.6 and Brong Ahafo region  2.0 .

This he said indicated that the Western Region came first in the  prevalence infections in the country and that stakeholders  must act fast to address the situation.

Dr. Mahama, however, attributed the high prevalence rate recorded in the region to the mining activities, oil and gas find and activities of commercial sex workers.