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The Media Specialist for the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Ghana, Dzid Enyonam Kwame has bemoaned the rate at which HIV/AIDS cases are rising again in the country.

The 2016 HIV sentinel survey report disclosed that Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions have topped the list of prevalence rate in the country.

In 2014 and 2015, the prevalence rate was 1.6 and 1.8 per cent respectively. 

According to the report, the two regions recorded the highest prevalence rate of 2.7 per cent for 2016 which is above the national HIV prevalence of 2.4 per cent. The prevalence rate for the other regions are: Eastern 2.6 per cent, Ashanti 2.6 per cent, Western 2.5 per cent, Upper West 2.5 per cent, Greater Accra 2.4 per cent, Central 1.8 per cent and Upper East 1.7 per cent.

The Ghana AIDS commission has attributed the rise in infections to the low use of condoms.

Speaking in an interview during the closing ceremony of a two day workshop organized by PEPFAR and ACEDEV (African Centre for Development) for the media in Accra, Thursday, Madam Kwame said there is the need for Ghanaians to protect themselves and avoid engaging in unprotected sex.

According to her, the media need to step up its game of educating the public in having safe sex.

“The media need to rise to the occasion and help educate the public to protect themselves. HIV/AIDS is under reported in Ghana…because people are now living longer thanks to ARVs (Antiretroviral drugs), we have neglected HIV/AIDS issues. This shouldn’t be because whether we like it or not we still have prevalence in Ghana; if we continue to do that infections will rise… we need to take care of ourselves, have protected sex…ensuring an AIDS free generation” she urged.

Achieving 90-90-90 by 2020

90-90-90 is a concept on HIV/AIDS introduced by the United Nation to be achieved by 2020. The first ‘90’ is to ensure that 90 percent of people infected with HIV will be diagnosed. The second ‘90’ is to ensure that people who are tested positive will be put on the antiretroviral (ARV) treatment immediately. The treatment must be consistent and sustained to prevent the virus from multiplying. The third ‘90’ is to make sure those who receive the ARVs will be ‘virally suppressed’.

Speaking to this concept, Madam Kwame said: “we are hoping that by 2020 we will be able to achieve this goal and we hope that the media will help us to achieve that…with this information we wish that we will stop the infections that have started going up and eventually we can also get the government to be more involved in HIV/AIDS issues…”

PEPFAR

PEPFAR is a United States governmental initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease, mainly in Africa.

PEPFAR has helped in making the world safe from infectious disease and threats. It was originally conceived as a compassionate effort to deliver life-saving services in countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. Now, it is also undertaking the challenge of controlling the epidemic.