Over 16,000 people in the region are reportedly affected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
“The Ashanti Region has an over 16,000 HIV/AIDS prevalence rate,” Pharmacist Thomas Agyako-Poku, Ashanti Regional HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, has revealed.
The Regional HIV AIDS Co-ordinator, who was speaking on Kumasi-based Luv FM, said the worrying trend is that growing stigmatisation is hampering these people from accessing effective healthcare, thereby sustaining the ailment.
They only visit hospitals when their conditions get worse, it has been revealed.
Mr. Agyako-Poku told listeners that the Ashanti Region has over 16,000 people living with HIV, and that about 80 percent of this number is ready for treatment, or is on treatment, adding that there is more work to be done until 100% of all recorded cases is achieved.
He said, over the past 30 years, efforts have been made to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS with limited resources.
The Ashanti Regional HIV AIDS Coordinator bemoaned the fact that they share their facilities with other care providers like the shrines and other areas, indicating that once the person is diagnosed positive, nothing is seen of the person again until he/she is brought back in terrible condition.
Agyarko-Poku revealed that from October 1, this year, Ghana rolled out a new programme dubbed, ‘Treat All’, under which anybody who is HIV positive will be put on treatment.
On the way forward, he revealed that within one week, the over 16,000 people would be looked for and put on paper, adding that Ghana is moving towards the 90/90 agenda, which means that 90 percent of individuals who are HIV positive should know their status.
Source: The Chronicle
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