The Assistant HIV Focal Person for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) Mavis Quansimah Panford has revealed that the number of persons living with HIV has increased by 17.2 percent.
Giving the breakdown in an interview with Beach Newsroom, she mentioned that 7, 264 persons were recorded as living with the virus in 2021 as against the year 2020 where 6,193 people had the virus.
New infections of the virus had a record of 294 in 2021 as against 278 in the year 2020.
She attributes the increase of new infections to fear of people being stigmatised, and hence transmit the virus through different modes.
Miss Panford said, the Assembly is collaborating with NGOs to create awareness and educate the public on HIV/AIDS to reduce the number of infections.
World AIDS Day is observed annually on December 1, all over the world to come together in the battle against HIV/AIDS, to support those who are living with HIV.
The theme” Equalise” is a call to action for all to pursue the tried -and true methods required disparities and aid in the eradication of AIDS.
The World Health Organisation founded World AIDS Day on December 1 in 1988 to promote information sharing between local and national authorities, international organisations, and private citizens.
For her part, the Vice President for Ghana HIV/AIDS Network (GHANET), Victoria Araba Dennis says, the essence of the day is to offer education to sexually active people, both positive and negative tested individuals to salvage the increase in infections.
STMA
She revealed that stigmatization is a criminal offense cautioning people to desist from such.
The spokesperson for the Network of Persons With HIV (NAP+), Ebenezer Arthur called on family members to support relatives living with HIV/AIDS. He also called on individuals to get tested for the HIV/AIDS.
