The Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Olivia Graham has revealed that over fifteen thousand persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the Ashanti Region are not on Anti-Retroviral Treatment(ART).
The regional coordinator described the number as worrying saying “It is a worry that we have such numbers not on treatment, because we use the treatment as prevention.”
Since 1986 when Ghana identified its first HIV/AIDS case, the country has seen a widespread of the HIV epidemic, with a current prevalence of 1.7.
At that time, controlling opportunistic infections and offering psychological support were the main focuses of care for those living with HIV.
With the advent of anti-retroviral therapy in 2003, the story took a new turn.
Records at the Ghana AIDS Commission show that there are currently 72,429 HIV patients in the Ashanti Region, with a prevalence rate of 1.9.
Of the total, 56, 546 are receiving antiretroviral therapy; this means that 15,883 are still awaiting treatment.
Some claim they are not taking medication, while others are treating themselves with unconventional methods.
According to reports, those who are not taking medication are concealing their condition, and some are seeking treatment through unorthodox means.
According to Madam Olivia Graham, “once you are positive and you are on treatment, the viral load is suppressed and it’s difficult to infect another person and they themselves it is not good for them as their health will deteriorate”.
The Ministry of Health is commemorating the introduction of ART for 20 years, along with its partners.
Olivia Graham believes that the ART has achieved outstanding achievement and is deserving of celebration.
Madam Olivia Graham established that “when a woman is pregnant and attends ante natal clinic, she is tested and if she turns out positive, we put her on the treatment and so she cannot infect her unborn child, but unfortunately some of these pregnant women are missed and have infected their babies.”
Furthermore, the Ashanti Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission explained that “when a baby is infected, we put them on ARVs for kids and they grow up so well, I know some of these children who have completed tertiary education, working now and doing so well all because of the ARVs”.