The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and the Ghana Health Service, has embarked on a health walk to promote voluntary HIV testing among Ghanaians. Dubbed the 'HIV Self-testing Health Walk', the three stakeholder groups and their volunteers walked through some principal streets of Cape Coast to distribute HIV self-test kits to further the agenda to eliminate HIV by 2030. The exercise, preceding World AIDS Day on Friday, December 1, sensitised the public to the prevalence of HIV and AIDS and the need to take action to mitigate the incidence. Data available at the Ghana AIDS Commission indicates that Ghana recorded 16,574 new HIV infections in 2022 out of which 1,240 came from the Central Region. The data further estimates that the country had an estimated population of 354,927 HIV patients with 24,046 coming from the region. Through various placards, the walk preached against discrimination against HIV patients and encouraged the use of condoms for prote ction, getting tested for the virus and seeking treatment. Mr William Mends, the Central Regional Chairman of GHANET, indicated that the self-testing kit was easy to use and mainly targeted at the sexually active population. He said as the world aimed to eliminate HIV by the year 2030, self-testing was an integral part of the strategy. He noted that the kit had been introduced to promote confidentiality and incentivise people who were shy to approach health facilities to get tested. He observed with concern that the incidence of HIV was escalating in Cape Coast largely due to the influx of tourists and its attendant heightened sexual activities. 'Last year we were at Elmina but this year we decided to bring it Cape Coast because as the hub of tourism, a lot of tourists come around with a lot of sexual activities,' he said. Mr Mends appealed to the public to muster courage and get tested to know their status for early treatment. 'There is free treatment for HIV patients. There's nothing to be scared abo ut. Just like hypertension, we can manage it for you to live a normal life like everybody else,' he assured. He further encouraged those on treatment to continue to take their medications religiously to avoid reaching the AIDS stage. Mr William Kweku Yeboah, the Central Regional Technical Coordinator for the Ghana AIDS Commission, observed that the number of new HIV infections remained frighteningly high with low treatment coverage resulting in high mortality. He said there was also heightened HIV-related stigma, and high individual risky behaviours which worsened the situation in Ghana. He called on the public to demonstrate leadership and responsibility at all levels to help end the scourge of HIV and AIDS in the country. 'This leadership should start at the individual level through the family and the community to the national level,' Mr Yeboah encouraged. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and the Ghana Health Service, has embarked on a health walk to promote voluntary HIV testing among Ghanaians. Dubbed the 'HIV Self-testing Health Walk', the three stakeholder groups and their volunteers walked through some principal streets of Cape Coast to distribute HIV self-test kits to further the agenda to eliminate HIV by 2030. The exercise, preceding World AIDS Day on Friday, December 1, sensitised the public to the prevalence of HIV and AIDS and the need to take action to mitigate the incidence. Data available at the Ghana AIDS Commission indicates that Ghana recorded 16,574 new HIV infections in 2022 out of which 1,240 came from the Central Region. The data further estimates that the country had an estimated population of 354,927 HIV patients with 24,046 coming from the region. Through various placards, the walk preached against discrimination against HIV patients and encouraged the use of condoms for prote ction, getting tested for the virus and seeking treatment. Mr William Mends, the Central Regional Chairman of GHANET, indicated that the self-testing kit was easy to use and mainly targeted at the sexually active population. He said as the world aimed to eliminate HIV by the year 2030, self-testing was an integral part of the strategy. He noted that the kit had been introduced to promote confidentiality and incentivise people who were shy to approach health facilities to get tested. He observed with concern that the incidence of HIV was escalating in Cape Coast largely due to the influx of tourists and its attendant heightened sexual activities. 'Last year we were at Elmina but this year we decided to bring it Cape Coast because as the hub of tourism, a lot of tourists come around with a lot of sexual activities,' he said. Mr Mends appealed to the public to muster courage and get tested to know their status for early treatment. 'There is free treatment for HIV patients. There's nothing to be scared abo ut. Just like hypertension, we can manage it for you to live a normal life like everybody else,' he assured. He further encouraged those on treatment to continue to take their medications religiously to avoid reaching the AIDS stage. Mr William Kweku Yeboah, the Central Regional Technical Coordinator for the Ghana AIDS Commission, observed that the number of new HIV infections remained frighteningly high with low treatment coverage resulting in high mortality. He said there was also heightened HIV-related stigma, and high individual risky behaviours which worsened the situation in Ghana. He called on the public to demonstrate leadership and responsibility at all levels to help end the scourge of HIV and AIDS in the country. 'This leadership should start at the individual level through the family and the community to the national level,' Mr Yeboah encouraged. Source: Ghana News Agency