First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo joined pupils to remember the children lost to HIV/AIDS
First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has kick-started a movement that will eliminate the transmission of HIV from a positive mother to her baby.
Holding the torch of the ‘Free to Shine’ campaign, the first lady, together with development partners, civil society organisations and private sector, would work to eliminate HIV infection in children, end paediatric AIDS and keep mothers alive and healthy.
In 2012, Ghana was recognised by the UNAIDS and the global community as the first country with the potential to eliminate mother-to-child transmission in Africa, but the country is yet to achieve that feat as coverage of HIV testing among pregnant women in 2017, for instance, was only 71 per cent.
Data from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) showed that only 67 per cent of HIV positive pregnant women received anti-retroviral treatment, meaning that while 29 per cent of pregnant women missed the opportunity to test for their status, as much as 33 per cent of HIV positive pregnant women needing the anti-retroviral treatment never had the opportunity to receive treatment.
As a result, Ghana recorded about 3, 200 new infections in infants and children in 2017.
It is against this background that Mrs. Akufo-Addo has joined so far 15 other African first ladies to launch the campaign to accelerate the attainment of an Africa free of HIV by eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Speaking at the official outdooring of the campaign at the LEKMA Hospital in Teshie, a suburb of Accra, the first lady said, “It is possible to end HIV and AIDS in children in Ghana within the next two years, through the ‘Free To Shine’ campaign.”
She stated that several years ago, HIV was a death sentence, as treatment was not available but with the advancement in medicine there is hope for HIV patients.
“At the time, it was a fearful and futile exercise to test and know your status. Even when you knew, you kept quiet about your status because of stigma. Things are different now.
If you test positive, know that you are not alone because there are nearly 40 million people living with HIV globally. The most important thing is to adhere to antiretroviral treatment. Adhering to treatment will also ensure that you give birth to an HIV-free baby who will live and grow free of HIV,” she indicated.
Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Gloria Quansah Asare, highlighted the progress of the country in eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
She said 86 per cent of all pregnant women testing HIV positive were given anti-retroviral therapy to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Dr. Quansah-Asare indicated that paediatric HIV care which has been regarded as the sole prerogative of pediatricians is being dymistified through capacity building with onsite orientation, training and development of job aids at sub-district level.
“This is supported by a paediatric HIV acceleration task team and guided by a paediatric acceleration plan launched by the first lady in 2017,” she averred.
Acting Director General of Ghana AIDS Commission, Kyeremeh Atuahene, indicated that the campaign is a golden opportunity to mobilise and deploy technical and financial resources to make elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission a reality in Ghana.
“It is a global shared sentiment that we either defeat HIV and AIDS now or risk a rebound. This is a call to shun complacency and work together as a people to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths. Defeating HIV and AIDS is your responsibility and so it is my responsibility. Together, we can end AIDS if we work harder and more importantly, if we work together,” he quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying in a speech read on his behalf during the 2018 World AIDS Day commemoration in Ho, Volta Region.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri