At least 34,000 positive new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were identified between the first and the third quarters of this year, the Programmes Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, has disclosed.
These were identified through testing and screening activities conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) this year, Dr Ayisi Addo stated, adding that, "already this year, we have started a series of activities, and we are going to build on that." The NACP Programme Manager made these known at the launch of this year's World AIDS Day in Accra on Friday, which was marked with a candlelight procession in memory of those who had died as a result of getting infected with the virus.
He said, "between January and the third quarter alone, the number of people we identified as positives through our testing activities where we screened about 1.3 million people was 34, 000." The global theme for this year's World AIDS Day is, 'Take the right path,' while the national theme is 'Ending AIDS Together: Stepping up prevention efforts.' According to him, the number of positive new cases identified despite the awareness created about the disease by GHS was a worry and required doubled effort in ensuring that AIDS was eliminated by 2030.
He also bemoaned the unwillingness of individuals who were infected with the virus to go for treatment, and therefore urged such individuals to visit health facilities for treatment to help reduce the spread of the virus.