Dr. Naa Ashiley Vanderpuye
The International Health Care Centre (IHCC), a medical facility focused on public health, particularly sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, has launched its 20th anniversary celebration with a call on the health sector to prioritise HIV/AIDS care in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Medical Director of IHCC, Dr. Naa Ashiley Vanderpuye, said despite treatment being one-third of the 90-90-90 targets, HIV/AIDS care remains one that is not very interesting when it comes to funding.
Using IHHC as an example, Dr. Vanderpuye explained that majority of the current 1,500 persons living with HIV who are receiving treatment at the facility cannot afford the cost of treatment.
“Unfortunately, a solution that should be helping us which is the National Health Insurance, seems to have forgotten some facilities where services rendered to clients for as way back as two years have not been reimbursed,” she stated.
She, however, maintained that the challenge has not shifted the focus of IHCC from its core mandate of offering services to those who need it.
“The dedicated staff realised that we have come too far to quit and whatever the circumstances we will continue to fight to ensure we provide care to those who need it,” she added.
The UNAIDS Country Director, Angela Trenton-Mbonde, commended IHCC for the work they have done over the years offering services to PLHIV.
She said for Ghana to meet its 90-90-90 targets, organisations like IHCC must be supported so they can expand their HIV sensitisation, education and counselling, testing and treatment to the public.
Mr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, Acting Director General of the National AIDS Control Programme, pledged the continuous support for the organisation, adding that the doors of the programme are open for partnerships as in previous years.
Gifty Anti, a seasoned broadcast journalist, who officially launched the anniversary, lamented the lack of urgency among stakeholders in HIV/AIDS care in the country.
She said it seems the country is resting on its efforts after recording some progress in the HIV/AIDS fight, which should not be the case.
“There are a lot of people suffering in silence with the disease because of discrimination and stigmatisation but we are doing very little to ensure they get the care they need,” she pointed out.
She, thus, called for stakeholders to reignite the passion for which they began the HIV/AIDS fight in order for the country to achieve its targets.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri