Leading health experts are warning that Ghana’s hard-won gains against HIV are being undermined by systemic gaps in testing, education, and patient retention. During a critical webinar organized by the Ghana Health Improvement Access Network (GHIAN), specialists highlighted that despite effective treatments, the nation’s path to epidemic control remains blocked by late diagnosis, stigma, and patients lost to follow-up.
“Treatment success does not automatically translate into epidemic control,” emphasized speakers, pointing to a stark reality: Ghana records an estimated 50 new HIV infections daily, yet only about 68% of people living with HIV know their status. Nearly 30% of those diagnosed are later lost from care, often due to cost, distance, or stigma.
A key concern raised is the visible decline in public HIV education since the intense campaigns of the early 2000s. “Today, HIV information is often concentrated within ART clinics,” noted participants, leaving healthcare workers in other departments without updated knowledge, which unintentionally fuels stigma and hampers early detection.
The webinar identified major barriers keeping people from services, including fear of disclosure, limited access to testing for men and youth, long travel distances, and funding cuts to outreach programs. “When services are difficult to access or don’t feel safe, people disengage, not because they don’t care, but because the system has not met them where they are,” one speaker stated.
To bridge these gaps, the experts proposed a multi-pronged strategy:
- Expanding Access: Rolling out HIV self-testing and restoring community-based testing.
- Strengthening Systems: Implementing electronic testing surveillance to avoid duplicates and training all health staff—not just in ART units—in HIV education and counselling.
- Leveraging Technology & Community: Using SMS reminders, WhatsApp follow-ups, and digital platforms for health worker training, alongside empowering peer supporters to improve retention and person-centred care.
- Policy & Funding Advocacy: Reinforcing national policies and addressing critical funding gaps to integrate HIV services sustainably.
The webinar featured insights from a cross-section of experts, including Dr. Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong (University at Buffalo, USA), Mary Abboah-Offei (Edinburgh Napier University, UK), and Majeed Sulemana (Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region), bridging international research with frontline realities in Ghana.
The consensus is clear: without urgent, renewed investment in the foundational pillars of testing, education, and dignified, accessible care, Ghana’s fight against HIV risks stagnation.
Source: myjoyonline.com
