Tema-Ghana, Jan. 2, MNN – The National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP) has expressed concern about the rise in HIV-positive cases among the youth as the third quarter of 2022 HIV testing and surveillance data revealed.
Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, NACP Programme Manager stated at the pre-launch event of a pragmatic national campaign focusing on HIV Self-Test (HIVST) kits at the Ghana News Agency Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue Platform.
He identified factors that had led to the high numbers as an unconcerned lifestyle of the young population and warned that the youth must be very conscious of their well-being and status.
Dr. Ayisi Addo demonstrated the use of the HIVST kits to the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Team and invited them to champion the Advocacy for its use ahead of the national launch and campaign in the year ahead-2023.
He said there was an urgent need to sensitize the youth to reduce the numbers, describing the youth as a very vulnerable group who were not aware of the dangers and setbacks associated with contracting the disease.
Dr. Ayisi Addo said, in the 2022 third quarter – January to September the nation identified 33,870 positive cases while the 2021 Antenatal care (ANC) prevalence rate for the ages 15 to 24 was 1.5 percent, higher than the previous year.
The data indicate that the age group with the highest ANC HIV prevalence was between the ages of 30-40 years.
Dr. Ayisi Addo urged the public to break barriers and know their status with the use of HIV self-test kits which would be available at selected pharmacies and hospitals across the country.
The HIV Self-Test Kits pack contains an instruction manual for use written in both English and Twi, a test device, a preservative, a developer vial, and a test stand.
The instruction manual also has simply eleven steps to follow with graphic pictures to guide the individual to self-administer without the help of any other person. Audio-visual educational versions have also been produced separately in other local dialects to promote awareness and use of the HIVST kits.
He said self-testing has come to empower Ghanaians to take control of their HIV status because “knowing your status is very powerful but walking in the dark is dangerous”.
HIV self-test kits availability would be scaled up in more health facilities as part of national efforts to improve HIV and AIDS Control in the coming year.
He explained that the results of the self-testing were not final adding; “if you are reactive, you must go to a health facility and we will confirm your results for you”.
Dr. Ayisi Addo said the initiative had been programmed in a way that the health facilities would collate data for positive cases as people who test positive still needed to report to a facility for confirmation and treatment.
He said the self-testing was private and requires only consulting the health personnel for advice only before or after testing and noted that the face of HIV epidemic management had changed positively due to the introduction and scale-up of Anti-retroviral treatment.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager called on the media to join the campaign to stimulate self-testing and also upscale the fight against HIV and AIDS stigmatization and discrimination.
He said that even though progress has been made in promoting knowledge of HIV large number of the population is still unaware of their status, thus underscoring the urgency of closing the testing gap.
Mr. Ameyibor noted that late diagnosis of HIV infection is the most substantial barrier to scaling up HIV treatment and reducing new infection rates and commended the National AIDS/STI Control Programme and other stakeholders for embarking on the self-testing campaign.
