By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), Feb. 17, GNA – The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Network (GHANET) and the Hope for Future Generation (HFFG), has embarked on HIV sensitisation on Valentine’s Day as part of interventions aimed at reducing new HIV infections.
As part of the sensitisation, they engaged students of the Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University and University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, traders and travellers at the Wa Central Market and lorry station and held radio discussions.
The sensitisation focused on healthy sexual practices, the importance of people knowing their HIV status, and the need for correct and consistent use of condoms to stay safe and healthy.
The team also distributed over 800 HIV self-test kits and condoms during the exercise with some of the people willingly accepting and testing and asking for condoms.
Mr Osei-Bonsu Gyamfi, the Upper West Regional Technical Coordinator of GAC, said the exercise formed part of sustained efforts to curtail the spread of HIV in the region, particularly among young people.
He explained that beyond distributing condoms, the Commission sought to encourage voluntary testing and early initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for persons who test positive.
He expressed concern about low testing rates among men and attributed it to men’s general negative health seeking behaviours and the stigma and misconceptions that emerged during the early stages of the HIV epidemic.
“Men are often reluctant to test. It takes time to convince a man to go for the test and in some instances, when they react to it, they challenge the results,” Mr Gyamfi explained.
He said the introduction of HIV self-test kits was to promote confidentiality and address fears associated with facility-based testing and encouraged the public to take advantage of the availability of the kits at health facilities across all districts in the region.
Mr David Gaanye, the Secretary of GHANET, said his organisation had been distributing HIV self-test kits and condoms for the past five years to support the regional response.
He, however, observed that stigma continued to discourage people, particularly young persons, from testing.
“At the mention of HIV, some people panic and are not willing to know their status. Males are especially reluctant to pick the test kits compared to females,” Mr Gaanye stated.
Madam Muguluu Zahari Sungbaree, a paralegal with HFFG/West Africa Program to Combat AIDS and STI (WAPCAS), said the organisation had been mediating cases involving misunderstandings between sexual partners.
She appealed, particularly, to men to test and know their status since early testing and adherence to treatment could lead to viral suppression, prevent transmission, and enable Persons living with HIV (PLV) to lead healthy lives.
Madam Sungbaree also called for increased community support for (PLV) as discriminating against them undermined efforts to control the disease.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah