Research Article Open Access Journal of Infectious Diseases & Case Reports Cross-Border Tomato Trade and Susceptibility to HIV Infection: A Case of Ghana-Burkina Faso Tomato Traders: A Qualitative Study Koxwell Kaba Tiire 1 , Alexander Suuk Laar 2* , Daniel K. Azongo 3 1. St. Vincent College of Education, P. O. Box 184, Yendi, Ghana. 2. C/O PATH-Ghana, PMB CT 307, Cantoment, No.74 Osu Badu Street, Airport West, Ghana. 3. Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Navrongo, Ghana. Corresponding author: Alexander Suuk Laar, C/O PATH-Ghana, PMB CT 307, Cantoment, No.74 Osu Badu Street, Airport West, Ghana, Tel No: +233-201270134, E-mail: laar.alex.suuk@gmail.com Received: January 14, 2020, Accepted: January 22, 2020, Published: January 25, 2020 Keywords: Cross-Border, Tomato Trade, HIV Infection, Case, Ghana-Burkina, Faso Tomato Traders Introduction Agriculture is the backbone of food security and live- lihood for millions of rural households including men and women. People whose agricultural livelihoods are secure are able to produce sufcient food to meet their household food requirement and other important social and economic needs. When households are faced with food insecurity and limited income opportunities, they are compelled to undertake several risky activities in or- der to be employed and earn income to be able to pro- vide for their households. Tis is particularly the case for women and girls from rural areas in less developed countries. Tis difcult situation, among others factors put women and girls at higher risk of HIV infection as they are forced to migrate from their households in search for waged labour to earn money to complement the household income. Because of women limited ac- cess to, and control over resources and assets in the Abstract One of the core objectives of establishing the West African regional integration body (ECOWAS) is to promote cross-border trade and cooperation among member states. HIV infection has been found to be associated with population mobility, including cross- border trade and labour migration. Te objective of this study is to provide evidence based recommendations for government and other stakeholders to respond to and address the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in a multi-disciplinary approach. Qualitative method was used to collect data for the study. It involved 2 Focus Group discussions, 15 in-depth interviews with women tomato sorters and 3 Key Informant interviews with tomatoes market Queens. A purposeful sampling method was used to select eligible participants. Te data were analyzed using a thematic framework approach. Te women admitted that poverty, household’s food insecurity and household assets were the main motivational factors for them engaging in the cross border tomato trade. Tis study has highlighted the risk of HIV susceptibility among cross border tomato traders in rural Ghana. Improving the knowledge and livelihood opportunities of women and young girls engaged in the cross border tomato trade, calls for a comprehensive community- based educational campaigns targeted at mo- bile women engaged in the cross border trade in the study area. J Infect Dis Case Rep, 2020 Volume 1 | Issue 1 | 1 of 7