According to data from the Ghana AIDS Commission, 55% of Ghanaians living with HIV are not receiving antiretroviral therapy, and 35% of them are not aware that they have the virus.
The Commission claims that its attempts to meet treatment goals have been hampered by the afflicted individuals’ noncompliance with antiretroviral therapy.
The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, stated during this year’s World AIDS Day National Durbar Celebration on December 2 that the Commission has made significant progress in spite of its shortcomings.
“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,” Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene said.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, also spoke at this year’s celebration, which had as its theme “Ending AIDS together, stepping up efforts.” He urged activists to give priority to demands for prevention in order to eradicate the illness.
“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.”
Source: newsthemegh.com