The Ghana AIDS Commission has advised revellers celebrating Easter in Kwahu to protect themselves with condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
This is part of its efforts to curb the spread of HIV in the country.
The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, said free HIV testing will be offered in addition to the distribution of free condoms.
It is aimed at a broader campaign to reduce HIV prevalence, as Kwahu has been identified as a hot spot for spreading the deadly virus.
Sex has been a major feature of Kwahu Easter festivities over the years, with many being captured engaging in various kinds of sexual acts in public.
“Events such as the Kwahu Easter festival is a hot spot for HIV transmission, so the commission collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism, and we have since been running HIV programmes since Kwahu Easter every year,” Dr Atuahene said.
According to the Director-General, the Commission, together with the Tourism Ministry, offers services and support to people who travel to Kwahu for the Easter celebrations.
“So every year, we set up screening and condom distribution centres in all the three districts within the Kwahu enclave, and at these centres, we provide counselling and testing for HIV and other diseases, and we also give out free condoms so that those who have romance on their minds should also think of protection,” he added.
Eastern Region continues to record high HIV prevalence rates compared to other areas in the country.
A total of 33,870 people in the country tested positive for HIV at the end of the third quarter of 2022, that is, from January to September, out of which 24,017 were female and 9,853 were male.
The regional HIV-positive cases at the end of the third quarter indicate that Greater Accra recorded 6,863; followed by the Ashanti with 6,735; the Eastern had 4,968; the Central recorded 2,572; Bono hit 2,182; Western 1,960; Volta 1,830; Bono East 1,697; and the Western North 1,260.
Why the Kwahu Festival?
In Ghana, Easter coincides with the annual festival of the people of Kwahu in the Eastern Region.
It is a period when Kwahus from the Eastern Region—both in Ghana and abroad—undertake a homeward journey to their ancestral home in towns on the Kwahu scarp, such as Mpraeso, Obomeng, Oboo, Abetifi, Ntesu, and Abane, the traditional headquarters of the paramountcy.
The festival is accompanied by funfairs, carnivals and parties, with many revellers trooping to the towns with the motive of embarking on sex tourism.
While sex is not a crime, the police have warned on previous occasions that individuals who engage in open sexual acts will be arrested.
Traditional leaders and authorities were of the view that indecent exposure contributed to the rise in cases of HIV infections and pregnancies, especially among teens and young girls.
In 2018, traditional leaders began efforts to clamp down on the practice.
For example, Nana Oteng Korankye, Omanhene of Akuapem Berekusu, ordered the police to arrest anyone seen in a skimpy dress to Kwahu during the Easter festivities.
“I am calling on the Ghana Police Service to quickly arrest individuals who show up at Kwahu dressed indecently to help save the teeming youth from engaging in sexual activities,” he said.