Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, has said the Region was on its way to achieving the United Nations AIDS 90-90-90 Global Fast Track Target by 2020.
He said data available from the Volta Regional Health Directorate, had shown an increase in HIV testing across the Region from 49,502 in 2016 to 80,444 in 2017, an indication that strategies put in place to attain the first goal of the 90-90-90 were working.
The UNAIDS 90-90-90 goal stipulates that 90 per cent of all people infected with HIV should know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people diagnosed to have HIV should receive sustained anti-retroviral therapy and 90 per cent of people receiving the ant-retroviral therapy would have viral suppression by 2020.
Dr Letsa who was speaking at the inauguration of the Volta Regional Committee of Ghana AIDS Commission in Ho said the Region also saw a drop in its HIV prevalence from 2.7 per cent in 2016 to 2.3 per cent 2017 among pregnant women attending ante-natal care.
He said stigma and discrimination towards people with HIV and AIDS, however, remained pervasive, which served as a barrier towards HIV Testing Service in the Region but being addressed.
Dr. Letsa said lack of funds for HIV and AIDS activities was a major challenge towards sustaining the successes chalked over the years and called on members of the committee to find innovative ways of complimenting efforts of government in making funds available to engage Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the awareness creation process.
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