Breman Asikuma in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central region recorded the highest number of syphilis cases in the country last year.
An undisclosed town in the Oda District came second with Cape Coast being the third highest place syphilis was recorded.
This was disclosed by the Central Regional HIV/AIDS/STI Control Officer, Mr Ebenezer Koomson, on Tuesday in Cape Coast, during a sensitization programme for the media in the region.
The workshop was aimed at ensuring that journalists in the region play a more proactive role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
According to Mr Koomson, out of the 3,538 cases of syphilis recorded in the region from July to December last year, Breman Asikuma alone had 333 syphilis cases.
Mr Koomson described the situation as alarming as syphilis can result in mental disorder.
He said 24,291 people went to test for HIV/AIDS in the region last year while 79 people died as a result of HIV/AIDS the same year with the Central regional hospital recording the highest deaths of 18.
Mr Koomson disclosed that 42,360 pregnant women went for testing in 2009 but 521 tested positive.
He further disclosed that HIV prevalence also reduced from 2.9% in 2007 to 2% in 2008 in the region, adding that more females have been going for testing as 15,097 females went for testing last year as against 9,194 males.
The control officer noted that the major challenge facing the fight against HIV/AIDS was silence and stigmatization and advised the media to use entertainment, phone-in programmes, documentaries and soap operas to address the issue.
Mr Koomson charged the media to act as vaccines against HIV/AIDS in the country by educating the public on the causes and effects of the pandemic.
He also urged the media to open channels and foster discussions on the pandemic since the Ghanaian society is at risk because of the activeness of the youth.
The regional health promotion officer, Mr Samuel Tettey Dankwah, explained that the purpose of the programme was to establish a close relationship with the media in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He expressed the hope that the media will give the issue the needed attention to minimize the rate of infection in the region.
STORY: FROM MAGDALENE SEY, CAPE COAST
