The rate at which HIV cases keep increasing is disheartening.
The pain and trauma of living with such a condition, coupled with stigmatization, could lead to premature death.
The Ghana AIDS Commission’s data for 2022 clearly indicate that there are a total number of 354,927 persons living with the virus which represents a 2.7% increment from the previous years.
There are several factors leading to the upsurge of HIV cases in Ghana.
The Ghana Report in an exclusive interview with Dr. Pansy Caleb Biya Boadi with the Akuse Government Hospital on how collectively as a nation we can eradicate the menace, he attributed the rise of HIV cases in Ghana to how most people resort to unprotected sex with sex workers. Ghana AIDS Commission data highlights it as being one of the major agents in spreading the virus.
He explained that there are some individuals who are living with the virus and are not aware, therefore the probability of contracting the disease after having sexual intercourse with such a person is very high.
The Ghana AIDS Commission analysis for the past eight years shows that sexual activities remain the major mode of HIV transmission in Ghana.
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In 2022, the Commission was able to reach out to 65,379 female sex workers, and those people were educated on HIV prevention.
The data also revealed that HIV is consistently higher among women than men in all age groups.
Dr. Pansy also attributed the vast spread of the virus to a low voluntary testing rate by individuals who believe they are HIV-negative.
He noted that there are other simple ways by which one can easily be infected with the virus therefore citizens must ensure that they check their HIV status frequently to avoid the spread.
“There’s been one incidence when a client with HIV said she has not had sex for close to 15 years after having her daughter with her partner who isn’t HIV positive. She suspected it could be the male pedicurists(abochi) who walk around with pair of scissors trimming people’s nails”, Dr. Pansy stated while citing a case on how a person can get HIV without necessarily having sexual intercourse with an infected person.
Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene in an interview also revealed that most of the HIV carriers are unaware of their status and are spreading the virus to other negative individuals.
Ghana AIDS Commission has now launched an HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) program which will enable every Ghanaian to check their HIV status in the comfort and privacy of their homes.
The Commission has explained that the Self-Testing mechanism is simply like how one can check his or her malaria status.
“HIVST is similar to how malaria or pregnancy tests can be done at home and the results known within minutes. With oral HIVST (for instance using OraQuick), it involves the swabbing of the upper and lower gums with an oral swab test stick and dipping the stick in a test tube solution and waiting for 20 minutes to read the results”, Lead Coordinator of the Ghana and AIDS Network Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin revealed.
Mother-to-child transmission of the deadly virus due to low socio-economic status and maternal education is another factor that the health professional asserted to be contributing to the high rate of infectious disease annually.
Uneducated mothers who often refuse to attend antenatal care and have never tested their HIV status but living with the virus often transmit the virus to their unborn babies.
He encouraged pregnant women to always ensure they visit the health facilities to check their status at all times to ensure that their unborn babies are safe.
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Dr. Pansy urged HIV carriers to also ensure that they take their antiretroviral drugs as prescribed to minimize the spread of the virus in their bodies.
It’s our responsibility to ensure that we protect ourselves and our families against this deadly virus.