The Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) in the Upper East Region has called on the public to be persistent in the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. The GAC also encouraged abstinence from sex as well as faithfulness to a single sexual partner.
In a document titled the “Sub-National Dissemination of 2020 HIV Prevalence Survey Results”, the GAC said 1,075 new infections were recorded in 2020 out of the 87,624 adults tested. Of the figure, 188 are pregnant women. The new infections recorded in 2020 in adults were lower than figures recorded in 2019. In 2019, 1,145 new infections were recorded with 195 of them being pregnant women.
Meanwhile, out of the 7,741 adolescents tested in 2020, 41 of them were infected with the disease representing an HIV positivity rate of 0.5 percent. Of the 41, 25 were aged between 15 and 19 while the remaining were aged between 10 and 14. This is against 2019’s figure of 37 new infections amongst adolescents.
To help reduce the number new infections recorded amongst pregnant women and adolescents, the GAC further called for continuous testing for HIV, early Antiretroviral initiation among persons who have been infected and enhanced viral load testing and monitoring.
Meanwhile, in the Upper West Region, 5,725 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS. The region’s prevalence stands at 1.1 percent which means that 1 person in every 100 people living in the region has the virus. In 2020, the GAC recorded 318 new infections. The GAC indicated that more female adults are getting infected with the virus as compared to their colleague males.
The Wa Municipality, being a cosmopolitan area, had the highest prevalence 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 of 0.6 percent.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
