Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi
Presidential Advisor on HIV & AIDS, Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, has announced plans by the government to establish a fund to support persons living with HIV in the country.
She said the creation of the fund would help support HIV patients in various capacities and highlighted that it would go a long way to making sure that the needed medical attention is given to every infected person irrespective of age or gender.
She also noted that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be developed for different populations including high risk youth to broaden the HIV care and support system.
Speaking at the 2021 World AIDS Day launch in Accra, Dr. Adu-Gyamfi said the move is in line with the principles of differentiated service delivery which has guided the country’s response to higher heights.
She stated that the existence of AIDS as well as the COVID-19 pandemic has created an atmosphere of inequality which must be addressed head-on.
“We have invested considerable resources to ensure that most, if not all, districts have at least one Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) site. We have also intensified our HIV testing efforts as well as broadened our treatment, care, and support systems,” Dr. Adu-Gyamfi reiterated.
According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), an estimation of 346,120 people are living with HIV in the country, with new infection of 18,928 in 2020. Also, 12,758 persons have died from AIDS related diseases.
Director General, GAC, Kyeremeh Atuahene, said in spite of the increased up-take of prevention, treatment and care services along with declining trends in new HIV infection and AIDS deaths, the disease is still a public health challenge.
He said the country has the right policies and strategies with the right partnership to defeat the pandemic, adding that what is needed is a concerted effort at optimal scale and intensity towards epidemic control.
“Ending AIDS and achieving epidemic control is highly possible now if we combine our efforts and work together with a common purpose,” he added.
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is marked on December 1 each year to remember those infected and affected by the epidemic. It also gives countries the opportunity to take stock and re-kindle efforts to achieve the objectives of the AIDS response.
The 2021 World AIDS Day (WAD) is under the theme: “End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics.”
GAC as part of the commemoration will embark on a month-long exercise to educate the public about HIV and AIDS.
Activities to be embarked include HIV sensitisation by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Information officers, policy dialogue on HIV and the youth, JSI, GAC webinar on lessons learnt and best practices as well as the 2021 WAD durbar and awards which will be held at the end of the month-long journey.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Abigail Adeyemi