The report that the Bono Region currently leads in HIV infections in the country with a prevalence rate of 2.61% is alarming and calls for urgent attention. Reports also indicate that among pregnant women in the region, the prevalence rate stands at 4.5%, which is higher than the national prevalence rate of 2.0%.
The Chronicle believes this must be enough to compel stakeholders in the health sector to step up efforts at combating the virus. We should be worried about the lack of education by both the state and private media on HIV/AIDS.
Indeed, the attention the media is giving to AIDS education is so insignificant that one will be tempted to think it does not exist any longer.
It is in the light of the above that The Chronicle is happy that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given the assurance that the government would operationalise the National HIV and AIDS Fund to increase domestic resource mobilisation to improve care.
Indeed, the commemoration of the 2022 World AIDS Day, and the Ghana AIDS Commission’s 20th Anniversary, on the theme: “20 Years of a Multi-Sectoral HIV Response: Accelerating Progress to end AIDS,” should spur us on to end AIDS.
The Chronicle is further delighted at the assurance from the President that all Persons Living with HIV in the country, despite the challenging economic crisis, would continue to be prioritised by the government and supplied with uninterrupted antiretroviral medicines to guarantee their continued health care.
The provision of one treatment centres in almost all districts across the country will certainly enhance access to care.
Again, the rolling out pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis for selected populations is a major step at combating the disease.
We, therefore, encourage every Ghanaian to be bold and get tested to know their HIV status.
The Chronicle would like to also call individuals, communities, development partners and civil society organisations which have made distinguished contributions to the national HIV response in the past to revisit their plan towards ending AIDS in the country.
This call is against the background that a total of 23,495 people in Ghana tested positive for HIV in the first half of this year (January to June).
The figure is two percent of the 948,094 people who undertook HIV testing from January to June 2022, according to the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme.
From all indications, the figure for this new infection is too high, so we need to intensify education to let people know that HIV is still real.
We would call on the Bono Regional Coordinating Council to engage stakeholders to devise strategies to minimise the spread of disease in the region as part of the collective efforts to end AIDS in the country.
We know for certain that complacency, ignorance and lack of awareness creation have significantly contributed to the rising figures of AIDS in the country.
Some youth today don’t know HIV exists. There are those who know, but have assumed that it’s gone. People are now more afraid of COVID-19 than AIDS.
With all these in mind, we believe it is time for stakeholders to reignite the discussions around AIDS to save lives.
