By Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, July 8, GNA – The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) has urged the Government to promptly disclose HIV test results to applicants affected by the recent security services recruitment exercise.
The network said timely disclosure would enable affected applicants to access treatment early and help prevent further transmission of the virus.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Mr Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, President of GHANET, said withholding the results constituted a public health concern because early diagnosis and treatment remained central to HIV prevention and control.
“Withholding HIV test results from affected applicants is a significant public health concern because people can only access life-saving treatment and take steps to prevent further transmission if they know their status.
“Those who test positive should be informed through an appropriate counselling process and promptly linked to treatment, as early diagnosis and immediate enrolment on antiretroviral therapy are essential to Ghana’s HIV prevention and control efforts.
“With treatment, people living with HIV can lead long, healthy and productive lives,” he added.
Mr Ortsin’s comments followed a disclosure by Mr Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Minister for the Interior, that about 1,300 applicants tested positive for HIV during medical screening conducted as part of the recent security services recruitment exercise.
Appearing before Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, the Minister said approximately 100,000 applicants underwent the recruitment process and medical examinations.
He explained that the HIV test results had not been communicated to the affected applicants because of concerns about the psychological impact of the diagnosis.
Mr Ortsin said the reported number of positive cases should not cause public alarm, explaining that it was broadly consistent with Ghana’s national HIV prevalence.
He noted that most applicants were between 18 and 35 years, an age group that accounted for a significant proportion of HIV infections nationally.
“Our national prevalence is 1.49 per cent, and if you look at about 105,000 people who were screened, the positivity rate of around 1.3 per cent aligns with the national data,” he said.
Mr Ortsin said it was unclear whether the positive cases involved newly diagnosed infections or persons who already knew their HIV status.
“We wouldn’t know whether these are new infections. We are expecting the national estimates to come out soon, and those will provide a clearer picture,” he said.
Mr Ortsin also called for clarification on the screening process, including whether applicants had been informed beforehand that they would undergo HIV testing and whether appropriate pre-test counselling had been provided.
He said current global HIV management practices required that individuals who tested positive should receive appropriate counselling and be linked immediately to treatment.
“Ideally, people should have gone through counselling before testing so they are prepared to receive the results,” he said, adding that if applicants were tested without being adequately informed, it would raise important ethical and public health concerns.
Mr Ortsin urged the Ministry of the Interior to establish a confidential mechanism for notifying all affected applicants of their results.
“They should contact them and let them be aware of their status so that they can immediately be put on treatment,” he said.
Mr Ortsin assured affected persons that HIV was no longer a death sentence because effective treatment was widely available.
“The good news is that treatment is available. Once people are put on treatment, they can recover their immunity and live very normal lives,” he said.
Mr Ortsin encouraged anyone diagnosed with HIV to seek treatment promptly.
H said early initiation of antiretroviral therapy improved health outcomes and significantly reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey