Latifa Alhassan: HIV Is a Danger Looming For Our Unborn Children and For The Economy of Ghana

Latifa Alhassan, Pharmacyst, Co-founder of FyndRx, shared on LinkedIn:

”HIV/AIDS has been in the news a lot lately, and for very bad reasons

GHANA AIDS COMMISSION (GAC) reported that in 2024 there were about 15,290 New HIV infections recorded.

This means about 50 new HIV infections are recorded ‘DAILY’

Why is this a serious public health concern?

Let me put this in context so that you can understand this properly.

THE BEGINNING

In 1986, Ghana recorded its first case of HIV/AIDS in the country.

At the time, there was no know HIV treatments nor preventive methods.

This was a precursor for disaster. From 1986 onwards, more that more that 30,000 people died yearly of HIV/AIDS and as many people continued to get infected.

Mortality and infection rates continued to stay critically high up until 2003 when something revolution happened.

It was in this ere that a lot of stigma developed against people living with HIV/AIDS because having the disease literally meant a death sentence

THE TREATMENT ERA

In January 2002, the Ghana AIDS commission by the ACT 613 of the the constitution of Ghana was approved and officially gain legal status.

A pilot launch for Anti-retroviral Therapy for treatment and prevention of mother to child transmission started in 2003. This was a major milestone in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidermic.

However, there was still one major problem. Despite support from the World Bank, Global fund, UNAIDS and other international donors.

Treatments stayed very expensive and infected person were made to pay a topup amount before treatment could commence.

The rich and powerful were able to access treatment but many others were still left to die with the disease.

Then in 2005 more resources were dedicated to this program by international donors, especially Global fund, and the government rapidly expanded counseling, testing and treatment nationwide.

The number of treatment sites grew from just 2 in 2003 to 197 by the end of 2015.

In 2005 Treatments was still reserved for patients who only had a CD4 count of or fewer than 500 cells until in 2016 when Ghana officially adopted the ‘Treat All’ policy by Work Health Organization in their quest to achieve the 95-95-95 SDG goal. Meaning to achieve 95% testing and awareness off all patients, 95% undetectable state and 95% treatment of all infected persons.

From 2003 to 2023, infection rates and death tolls impressively declined to a yearly average of 11,000 people for infections rates, 9500 people for death tolls.

THE NOW

Disaster strikes again, this time, admits Antiretroviral medications and a continuous attempt to achieve the 95-95-95 SDG goal. In 2024, the National AIDS commission of Ghana reported that there were 15,290 new HIV infections recorded that year.

The most troubling part is that more than 50% of these new infections were seen in young people between the ages of 15-49 years who constitute the young population of the country.

These disturbing findings have sparked a new conversation about the reinforcement of HIV/AIDS preventive methods in the young population and in the country?

This means there is serious danger looming for our future as a country, for our unborn children and for the economy of the Ghana.

What are your takes on this?”

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