The Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) has said that while it is making progress in its work, stigma against Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV), continues to derail gains made. The Upper West Regional Technical Coordinator for the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dramani Yakubu, speaking to A1 Radio, expressed worry that because of fear of stigmatization, PLHIV move from their designated Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Centres within the region to other regions without due process.
Mr. Yakubu also indicated that some persons living with the virus are ‘lost to follow up’. He explained this to mean that such individuals refuse to attend their designated ART Centres for treatment and cannot be traced by the GAC. The Upper West Regional Technical Coordinator of the GAC said the situation is becoming increasingly prevalent because of the continuous stigmatization of persons living with the disease.”
“People who are diagnosed with the condition do not want people to know they are positive because of stigmatization. Because of this fear, some are unwilling to test and those who even test are unwilling to go for the medication. For those who are on the medication, when they get these experiences, they stop,” he explained.
Mr. Yakubu however mentioned that GAC is working with its partners to address all of the concerns. He reminded the public to exercise extreme caution so as not to stigmatize or discriminate against persons living with HIV because it goes contrary to the laws of the country. He cited the Ghana Aids Commission’s Act 2016 as a law that supports and protects PLHIV.
According to the GAC, 5,725 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in the Upper West Region. The region’s prevalence rate stands at 1.1 percent which means that 1 person in every 100 people living in the region has the virus. He said in 2020, the GAC recorded 318 new infections. Mr. Yakubu indicated that more female adults are getting infected with the virus as compared to their colleague males.
Giving some district breakdowns, Mr. Yakubu mentioned that the Wa Municipality, being a cosmopolitan area, had the highest prevalence rate of 1.5 percent. The Nandom Municipality followed with 1.3 percent while the Lawra Municipality recorded a 1.2 percent prevalence rate in 2020. Lambussie has the least prevalence rate of 0.6 percent.
To help reduce the transmission of the virus among young people, Mr. Yakubu encouraged young people to test frequently for HIV and know their status. He said this will encourage those who are negative to continue to take measures to prevent infection while those who are infected will begin to take measures to prevent transmission and begin treatment.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
