HOMOSEXUALS ARE one of the major causes of high prevalence HIV epidemic in the Greater Accra Region, Rita Afriyie, technical coordination consultant at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), has stated.
She said the youth in the Greater Accra Region who are between the ages of 12 to 24 have also been identified as most at risk, likewise uniformed service workers, transport workers and vulnerable groups like female head-porters and some areas which are disproportionately affected.
Ms Afriyie made this astonishing revelation at the Greater Accra Regional World AIDS Day celebration which was held at the forecourt of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) on Tuesday.
The commemoration was under the theme: ‘Fast Track: Meeting The Health Needs of Children towards an HIV-Free Generation’.
She was disheartened about the HIV/AIDs prevalence rate in the country which positions Greater Accra as the second on the regional prevalence table.
The technical coordination consultant called on all to contribute their quota in addressing the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS in the region.
According to her, socio-cultural and economic factors coupled with poor sanitation are the major determinants of the increase in prevalence in the region.
Touching on the reduction of infection among children, Ms Afriyie mentioned that Greater Accra had achieved 73 percent which is 118, 472 of its target coverage of 161, 914 for HIV testing of pregnant women.
Albeit such an achievement, she pointed that effort will still be made in that direction to seal all gaps in HIV prevention and treatment for children.
She said Ghana AIDS Commission will accelerate the implementation of comprehensive prevention and treatment programmes for all persons in the country, especially focusing resources on children to ensure that they have access to services to help prevent and manage HIV.
In line with the UNAIDS objective of 90-90-90 targets by 2020, Ms Afriyie indicated that Ghana will start the process to ensure 90 percent of all persons living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those who know their status are put on antiretroviral medicines and 90 percent of those put on the drugs have a suppressed viral load.
She appealed to the public to provide support in eliminating HIV in Ghana.
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