The Ghana AIDS Commission has revealed that 35% of Ghanaians living with HIV are unaware of their status, and 55% of this significant proportion are not enrolled in antiretroviral treatment. According to the Commission, the failure of affected individuals to adhere to antiretroviral treatment has hindered its efforts to achieve treatment targets.
Speaking at this year’s World AIDS Day National Durbar Celebration, on December 2, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, explained that despite the shortcomings, the Commission has made considerable gains.
“Despite the progress we have made, the epidemic care continues to show a very low rate of decline…It is estimated that 35% of Ghanaians living with HIV, have not tested and don’t know their HIV status. While 55% of them are not on antiretroviral medicines,” Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene said.
Also speaking at this year’s celebration, themed “Ending AIDS together, stepping up efforts,” the Minister for Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, urged advocates to prioritise calls for prevention to eradicate the disease. “As much as possible, we must invest our energies into prevention so that with time, elimination would be the standard, so that we can be like other countries, the first world countries.”
By: Manuel Ayamah
