5,720 female sex workers living with HIV

The Ghana Aids Commission has disclosed that 5,720 representing 11% out of 52,000 female sex workers (FSW) in Ghana are living with HIV.

Dr. Fred Nana Poku of the commission added that 17% of men who sleep with men (MSM) are also having the virus.

According to him, the commission has therefore decided to focus on these groups of people to ensure that they do not spread the disease.

Dr. Poku made this known during a training sessions for editors from the various media houses in the country, organised by the Ghana AIDS Commission in Accra.

He said the global fund was allocated to this section of people to help them access medication and also to encourage them to known their status.

Elaborating on the current situation in Ghana, he said the country has a generalized epidemic, adding that HIV prevalence is consistently over 1% among pregnant women.

He also stated that currently, almost 236,000 people, including some 27,000 children are living with HIV in Ghana . Dr. Poku continued, an estimation of People Living With HIV (PLHIV) currently need antiretroviral, with over 76,000 having already been initiated on treatment and at least 700 more before close of the year.

He observed that sexual networking in the general population is sufficient to sustain an epidemic.

He added Ghana is one of the few countries in the world that had achieved a high coverage of services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and a 76% reduction in new HIV infections among children.

Touching on the regional distribution of the virus, he said Eastern Region has the highest prevalence of 3.6 % followed by Great Accra (3.5%), Ashanti (2.6%), Volta (2.5%), Western (2.4%), Upper Blaster (2.1%), Brong Ahafo (2.0%), Central (1.9), Upper West and Northern (0.9)

According to him, 35.3 million people are currendy living with HIV globally, with the highest numbers in Sub Sahara Africa.

He added that currently, there are 2.3 million new infections which he said is 33% decline from 2001.

He further stated that 26 countries have reduce new infections by 50% from 2001 – 2012 including Ghana.

Touching on deaths, he said AIDS death also decreased to 1.6million in 2012 but mentioned that youth aged 10-19 are the only group in which age related death has increased during period.

 

Source: The General Telegraph