By Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, Oct. 26, GNA –Public Health experts have emphasised that empowering adolescent girls and young women with the right knowledge and tools to make informed health decisions was crucial to reducing new HIV infections and curbing Ghana’s epidemic.
Dr. Emmanuel Teviu, Programme Manager of the National HIV and STI Control Programme, indicated that the 2024 HIV national estimates recorded over 15,000 new HIV infections, with the majority occurring among adolescent girls and young women, hence an intervention to curb the menace as well as efforts to end Ghana’s HIV epidemic.
Dr Teviu told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the sidelines of a three-day workshop organized by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) in collaboration with the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) and the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Ghana Education Service (GES) and partners that the adolescents were the biggest driver of the epidemic in Ghana, adding that failure to empower them with accurate information on sexual and reproductive health, the infections would continue to rise.
The workshop which, formed part of the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Project, being implemented by the HFFG brought together health professionals, media practitioners, and civil society organizations to design gender-sensitive communication messages that promote HIV prevention, stigma reduction, and youth empowerment.
The three-year initiative targets adolescent girls and young women in both in-school and out-of-school populations across seven districts, including parts of Greater Accra, Kumasi, and the Eastern Region and the overall goal is to reduce new infections through education, advocacy, and community engagement among the adolescent population , aged 15 to 24.
Dr. Teviu commended HFFG for implementing a comprehensive strategy that did not only educated young women but also supported HIV testing, early diagnosis, and linkage to care.
“It’s not only about empowering them, it is also about screening them, identifying those who are positive, and putting them on treatment this approach helps to reduce viral load and prevents further transmission,” said.
The Programme Manager stressed that empowering young women to adopt responsible sexual behavior could significantly reduce new infections and strengthen Ghana’s overall HIV response.
According to the Ghana AIDS Commission’s 2024 National and Sub-National HIV Estimates, an average of 42 new HIV infections are recorded daily among adults and children, underscoring the urgency of scaling up preventive interventions.
Dr. Teviu stated that stigma remained one of the biggest barriers to effective HIV control, saying, “Stigma kills faster than the disease itself, there is self-stigma among those infected, and societal stigma from the community. That’s why counseling is such a powerful tool, it helps people cope, disclose responsibly, and continue treatment without fear.”
He added that well-trained counsellors played a critical role in helping individuals make informed decisions while safeguarding their privacy and dignity.
Dr. Teviu clarified that while men were not being neglected, adolescent girls were currently at higher risk, hence using young women as entry points to reach their male partners was necessary.
“It takes two people to get infected, so by empowering one group, we ultimately reach both,” he stressed.
He called for collective action from all sectors, including health, education, and the media, to ensure that young people were equipped with accurate information and support to make informed life choices.
“The fight against HIV is not over, by empowering our young women and addressing stigma, we can save lives, protect families, and strengthen our nation’s public health,” Dr Teviu added.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie