The Acting Director-General (DG) of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mr Kyeremeh Atuahene has asked the public to take advantage of the no cost policy at the HIV counseling outfits at hospitals across the country to test to know their statuses.
According to him, the Commission has made testing and treatment free so as to allow for all Ghanaians to at least no their status and also get treatment in the event they test positive for HIV.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer Newspaper in Kumasi during an orientation forum for regional committees of the Ghana AIDS Commission on Thursday, the Acting DG said it is not scary to know one’s status.
This, he noted is because there are available treatment for any one or persons who turn positive for HIV or other related sexually transmitted diseases.
‘’I want to encourage all Ghanaians to voluntarily visit hospitals and proper medical centers to test for their HIV status and to know that even when they test positive, treatment has been made available for them to live their lives as normal’’, Mr Kyeremeh noted.
STATISTICS:
Giving statistics, the DG said the country recorded a total of 19, 931 new HIV infections in 2018.
This figure, nonetheless, still places Ghana at a non-prevalent category but the DG asked that Ghanaians test to know their statuses so they can plan how to live their lives.
According to him, 184, 955 people representing 55% of the population knew their HIV status last year and out of this 113, 000 are on treatment.
72, 000 people, however, know they have the virus but are not on treatment, the DG lamented.
‘’Approximately 335,000 live with HIV in Ghana and out of this 150, 000 do not know their status and are contributing to these new infections’’, the DG revealed.
REGIONAL MINISTER:
Speaking at the forum, Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister asked the public to avail themselves to test for their status.
According to him, knowing one’s status does not mean the person is going to die since there are available treatments for those who test positive.
He asked those who feel uneasy going for the test to contact the counseling outfits at the hospitals to undergo some education.
Testing to know one’s status, the Regional Minister noted gives the person a clear mind to work with or live with.
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