Dr. Ashinyo addressing journalists at the event
Out of 342,307 persons known to be living with HIV in the country as at 2019, only 153,901 persons representing 45 per cent are known to be receiving antiretroviral therapy, where 68 per cent of such persons have achieved viral suppression, Dr. Anthony Ashinyo of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) has disclosed.
The Deputy Programme Manager of NACP further indicated that persons who were receiving the treatment were among some 199,998 persons who know their status out of the total number of persons living with the virus in the country.
“For us to be able to achieve elimination of HIV/AIDS by 2030, we need to actually double up as Ghana is expected to find 90 per cent of the 342,307 persons living with HIV and then put 90 per cent of this number on antiretroviral therapy and then ensure the 90 per cent have viral suppression,” he said.
He made the revelation at a press briefing to discuss the “Free to Be” campaign, which is a joint initiative of NACP and Stratcomm Africa, a communication and reputation management agency, with funding from the Global Fund.
The initiative seeks to encourage the population to get tested and undergo treatment if positive, so as to achieve viral suppression which will inadvertently prevent further transmission of the virus.
NACP has therefore identified certain groups of persons who are “left behind” in terms of response to AIDS.
Dr. Ashinyo said they included migrants, prisoners, adolescent girls, people aged 50 years or older, persons with disabilities, homosexuals, transgender people, displaced persons, sex workers, drug addicts, persons with HIV, among others.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stratcomm Africa, Esther Cobbah, appealed to the media to give more prominence to issues of HIV/AIDS so as to help educate the public and consequentially prevent the country from losing out on its 2030 agenda of eliminating the pandemic.
By Issah Mohammed