HIV campaign launched in Upper West

The realisation of the Global Fast Track targets of 90-90-90 by the year 2030 will be a mirage if the HIV prevention campaign is not taken to many of the existing under-served communities in the country at large.

The 90-90-90 goal is to ensure that by the year 2030, 90 percent of all people infected with HIV would have tested to know their status; 90 percent of those who tested HIV positive and know their status are on sustained anti-retroviral treatment and 90 percent of persons on anti-retroviral treatment would achieve viral suppression.

In this regard, the Network of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (NAP+ – Ghana) has embarked on an HIV and AIDS awareness raising campaign with particular attention on Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) in three under-served communities in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District of the Upper West Region.

The project, titled “Implementation of Community Outreaches on PMTCT in Under-served Communities” is a NAP+ Ghana initiative that is being funded by UNAIDS with implementation support from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) Technical Support Unit (TSU) in the Upper West Region and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Mr Emmanuel Beluzeb, National Chairman for NAP+ Ghana said the project was part of efforts by the organisation and her key partners to strengthen community systems to take ownership of the community response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

On what informed the selection of the three communities, Mr Beluzeb explained that reports from their support group leaders indicated that the communities had seen fewer activities in terms of messages on HIV services such as PMTCT and Behaviour Change Communication (BCC).

Mr Dramani Yakubu, GAC Technical Coordinator for the Upper West Region while addressing the chiefs and people in the three communities reiterated that the main aim of the project was to send HIV and AIDS services to the doorsteps of the people.

Mr Yakubu explained that the other intended objectives of the project was to promote the patronage of PMTCT services in the selected areas and sensitise inhabitants on behaviour change in relation to HIV and AIDS among others.

He encouraged all to test and know their HIV status and also cautioned against HIV and AIDS related stigma, saying the new Ghana AIDS Commission Act 938 of 2016 criminalized HIV and AIDS related stigma and that offenders risked being prosecuted.

In all, over 5,000 people benefited from the sensitization, while a total of 980 people made up of 286 males and 694 females were also tested for HIV with eight female reactive cases.

In addition, over 8,000 male condoms, 150 female condoms and about 1,500 HIV and AIDS education leaflets were distributed in the three communities.

GNA

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