By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, June 24, GNA – Mr Dramani Yakubu, the Western Regional Ghana AIDS Commission Technical Coordinator, has disclosed that the region has made modest gains in some HIV indicators, while stagnating on others.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the recently disseminated 2023 National and Subnational HIV Estimates and Projection data, Mr Yakubu stated that the Western Regional HIV population had seen a marginal reduction from 23,904 in 2022 to 23,338 for last year.
According to him, the HIV prevalence rate in the region had also dropped marginally from 1.63 per cent in 2022 to 1.55 per cent in 2023.
He said: “Out of the 334,095 Persons Living with HIV (PLHIVs) in Ghana, 23,338 which constitutes seven per cent are living in the Western Region. This puts the region as fifth in the country behind the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern and Central.
“On prevalence indicators, the region ranks eighth in the country behind Bono, Greater Accra, Eastern, Western North, Ahafo, Ashanti and Bono East.”
In terms of new HIV infections in the region, Mr Yakubu indicated that the figure had increased marginally from 1,101 in 2022 to 1,235 in 2023.
He noted that the region ranked fifth in the country in terms of new HIV infections and constituted about 6.9 per cent of the 17,774 recorded nationwide.
He said: “While one may be right in saying that the region is doing well with 1,235 new HIV infections out of a total of 17,774 in the country, I am worried because these people are individual human beings with families. The figure also constitutes a marginal increase from last year and such statistics cannot be celebrated.”
Mr Yakubu, called on the government, development partners and all Ghanaians both in the public and private sectors to see the data as a wakeup call for action, saying the Ghana AIDS Commission needed the support of all stakeholders to effectively coordinate the national response to fight against the spread of the virus.
“HIV and AIDS is the business of everyone, and we must play our respective roles if we are to achieve the national target of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by the year 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
“I, therefore, call on all partners to continue and enhance their collaborations, especially with the Ghana AIDS Commission, as it’s the surest way to achieve the desire outcomes of the many efforts and investments in the national HIV and AIDS response,” The Technical Coordinator noted.
GNA