The Western Regional Technical Coordinator for HIV and AIDS, Mr. Dramani Yakubu, reports that intergenerational sex and hookups have emerged as a significant source of new infections in the region.
There are now 1,101 new infections in the Region, 23,004 individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and a 40% defaulter rate.
The Ghana News Agency was informed by Mr Yakubu that the region’s prevalence rate was 1.63, which was somewhat lower than the 1.66 national prevalence.
According to the findings, women were more vulnerable than men since 66% of those impacted were female and 34% were male.
“We also suspect intergenerational sex, where older men who are exposed to the virus are dating much younger women and passing it on,” stated the HIV and AIDS Technical Coordinator.
He further stated, “They are becoming very vulnerable people and the number of those infected is getting higher.” Young ladies between the ages of 15 and 24 were the most afflicted, he claimed.
The new “hook” culture, he said, presents another difficulty as it encourages individuals to meet and have intercourse without taking any preventative steps to avoid virus infections, such as condom use.
According to Mr. Yakubu, when the sickness no longer showed any outward signs of thin and dying individuals, more people were growing accustomed to it.
He stated that the defaulter rate and other variables were impeding the attainment of the 95, 95, and 95 goals and suppressing virality.
According to him, the objective was to screen 95% of individuals so they could determine their status, 95 cent placed on medication, with 95 per cent achieving viral suppression.
“They stop the medication, the virus multiplies again, and they can transmit,” he added, highlighting the significant threat that those who stopped taking their prescriptions presented to the number of illnesses that were undetected and incurable.
Mr Yakubu praised the efforts of the HIV and AIDS-focused NGO Life Relief Foundation, which collaborated closely with the Ghana Health Service to reunite patients who had fallen behind on their treatment plans.
He said that “Let Communities Lead” will be the subject of the 2023 National AIDS Celebration.
Community efforts, according to him, helped to reduce the stigmatisation of people living with HIV and AIDS by fostering trust and keeping individuals and service providers accountable.
