GHS sets up 225 HIV/AIDS counselling and testing sites in Western Region

• Posted on December 19, 2023December 19, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

To increase access to HIV testing, the Ghana Health Service’s Western Regional Health Directorate has established 225 Testing and Counselling Sites around the area in partnership with stakeholders and health partners.

Furthermore, 364 healthcare facilities are actively offering counselling and testing services to expectant mothers to stop HIV transmission from mother to child in the region.

When the area celebrated World Aids Day in 2023 with several events, Dr Gifty Amugi, the Western Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, who spoke on behalf of the Regional Director of Health Service, disclosed this information.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: “ART AT 20: LET COMMUNITIES LEAD. It is an appeal for communities to become actively involved in the battle against the epidemic as the country celebrates 20 years since the introduction of the Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART)”.

The Western Region celebration kicked off with a health walk in Shama District on December 1. Later in the month, there was an inter-church debate and an inter-community quiz also held in Shama District. The celebration culminated with a vibrant durbar held in Shama District.

Since the incidence of HIV has decreased, Dr. Amugi applauded the progress made in the Western Region in the fight against the virus thus far. 2.7% in 2021 compared to 3.1% in 2018.

She credited the accomplishment to the creative tactics the Region used to stop the spread of HIV.

The feat, she attributed to the innovative strategies adopted by the Region to reduce the spread of HIV.

As of August 2023, 90% of customers had been successfully linked to therapy, compared to 83% in 2022, according to Dr. Amugi, who claimed that more positive clients had been attached to treatment.

She also underlined how customers’ health has clearly improved when anti-retroviral therapy was introduced.

Despite the enormous efforts made, she said, the Region would not give up and would continue the drive to make sure all positive customers took a viral load test at the appointed periods.

“What we ultimately want to achieve for every client is U-U, that is (Undetectable Untransmissible),” she stated.

Speaking about the virus’s transmission among young people, Dr. Amugi said that HIV/AIDS education and awareness campaigns should be strengthened in creative and modern methods and that stigmatisation of clients who are HIV-positive should end in all areas.

Dr. Amugi expressed gratitude to stakeholders, partners in healthcare, and the medical workforce for their efforts in the battle against HIV.