160,000 persons living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment – Dr Addo

• Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye (middle) with some participants. Photo: Stephanie Birikorang

At least 160,000 persons living with HIV (PLHIVs) in Ghana are currently on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), the Programme Manager of the National AIDs and STI Control at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, has disclosed.

This is nearly 50 per cent of the estimated 334,095 PLHIVs in the country, with about 130,000 having suppressed viral loads.

Since Ghana begun ART in 2003, over 300,000 PLHIVs have been captured on the treatment with 735 ART sites and 6,000 Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) sites dotted across the country.

Dr Addo was speaking at the National HIV/STI Research Dialogue in Accra yesterday on the theme; ‘20 years of HIV Antiretroviral Treatment in Ghana; Celebrating the Progress, Ending the Epidemic.’

Bringing together healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers, the event was to discuss critical insights on HIV/ STI research and prevention to inform decision making going into the future and help Ghana attain its target on HIV/AIDS control by 2030.

“Based on the research, it’s clear that when you put somebody on treatment and the person adheres, the person’s life expectancy and survival is like any other person who doesn’t have HIV,” Dr Addo, indicated.

He noted that; “There are people who are on treatment now and they’ve been on treatment for 20 years and are still well and in good health.

Through ART, we have prevented mother-to-child transmission of HIV, improved childhood survival, reduced treatment burden on households and saved many lives and abated deaths.”

While urging Ghanaians to desist from stigmatising and discriminating against PLHIVs, the Programme Manager said, “Going forward now that we’re getting epidemic control, we are going to intensify and widen our research to areas with limited studies so we can identify the emerging issues and put measures in place to address them.”

The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, noted that the fight against HIV demands renewed energy and drive to be able to meet newly set targets.

Calling on partners and stakeholders to support investment into innovative HIV preventive strategies as one of the most effective and sustainable ways to ending the epidemic, the DG also called for broader research and increased public awareness on HIV in order to reduce cases in the country.

“The road ahead demands even greater commitment, and the stakes have never been higher. We must strengthen our resolve to advance in treatment, prevention, and research”, he stated.

For his part, the Director of Public Health, Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, indicated that past gains made in the fight against HIV/ AIDS in Ghana should serve as basis for greater efforts moving forward and towards elimination.

BY ABIGAIL ANNOH