In Ghana, the campaign for HIV/AIDs has not been as prominent for some time now, but that has not meant that such campaigns have been relegated altogether particularly because people continue to still live with the deadly disease in the country.
As Ghana continues to focus on its health, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, President, of the Ghana HIV and AIDs Network (GHANET), in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Stella Dzeidzom Sogli, disclosed that on the average, the country loses about 10,000 people to the disease annually.
Ortsin said that the 2023 data revealed that there were 334,000 who were unknowingly living with the virus until they tested for it for the first time.
He added that 12.3% of people who also report STIs have HIV.
“When you pick 100 people infected with STIs, there is a likelihood that 12 of them are infected with HIV,” he indicated”, he indicated.
According to Ortsin, global funds have been a great support over the years to campaigns on HIV/AIDS, although not much support has come locally.
“Money is not forthcoming from 2016. That is why you don’t here us campaign on the reality of HIV/AIDs anymore,” he indicated.
He urged the new government to support them with funds to control and treat people with HIV/AIDS.
Ortsin advised those infected to keep taking in their drugs to keep them healthy.
He cautioned citizens to use condoms the proper way to protect themselves from getting infected with HIV and to check for the expiration dates on the products before using them.
Ortsin stressed too that people should get tested before they have unprotected sex.
He indicated that on no account should people use their teeth to open a condom or use scissors, which may cut a part of the product unknowingly and make it unsafe for use.
“Open the condom on the zigzag portion and make sure you push out every air in it before using to prevent burst during sexual intercourse,” he stated.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
