AIDS Control Programme receives ARVs

News reports stated that hospitals, especially in the Eastern Region, reported shortage of ARVs in June, which threatened the effective treatment of HIV and AIDS.

Dr Addo explained that the importation of the drugs was awarded on contract to six companies which won the competitive bid.

He noted that there was a target of 15,058 people with advanced HIV infections to receive ART for 2012 out of which 7, 497 people have been put on the drug as of June.

“As at June, the cumulative number of people with advanced HIV infection receiving ART have been 72,839, of which 69,267 were adults and 3, 572 children. The number of people currently on treatment is 66,504 out of which 63,236 are adults and 3,268 are children.

“There are 166 service delivery points. The alarming shortages are compelling the HIV facilities to ration first line drugs to PLHIV in a bid to prevent a complete shortage of the ARVs,” Dr Addo said.

The NACP Programme Manager said under the new Transitional Funding Mechanism, the government had awarded a GH¢6 million, which is a Ministry of Health Budget to DANDAMS, a local antiretroviral manufacturer to produce the ARVs for use.

The move is meant to facilitate preparation towards sustaining the programme after the global fund ends by April next year.

Dr Addo said after April 30, 2013, all new cases would be the sole responsibility of the government with the full task of bearing the entire cost.

The Ghana AIDS Commission is being supported with GH¢5.7 million.     

Some PLHIV the GNA spoke to said their survival depended so much on the ARVs and the persistent interruption was a nightmare to them.

These concerns were also shared by the National President of Network of Association of PLHIV, Mr Clement Azagwe, who said: “If we joke as a country, those of us living with the disease could develop drug resistance and this will potentially undermine our efforts to achieve universal access to treatment.”

In a related development, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Angela El-Adas, has stressed the need for renewed and accelerated efforts to reduce the HIV and AIDS prevalence rate, which she said was still considered by the commission as a major public health problem, writes Naa Lamiley Bentil

Speaking at the launch of the 2012 World AIDS Day and the Heart-to-Heart Campaign in Accra, she said the Heart-to-Heart campaign, which was started a year ago, was breaking new grounds but considering the prevailing situation, there was more to be done.

She said the commission would continue vigorously with the Heart-to-Heart campaign which was appealing to the youth.

Traditional messages of abstinence and use of condoms which have significantly helped to manage the situation would continue along with the Heart-to-Heart campaign, which aims at reducing stigmatisation.

The theme for this year’s World HIV and AIDS Day is ‘Getting to Zero-New HIV infections, AIDS related deaths and discrimination. Accelerating to Zero together is the localised theme for Ghana, and it seeks to bring all and sundry on-board the fight against HIV and AIDS.

 THE UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Mr Girmay Haile, observed that significant strides had been made in the fight against the disease over the years.

“As we celebrate the 2012 World AIDS Day, we should also remember to celebrate the fact that the global annual rate of HIV infections had declined by over 25 per cent over the last  five to eight years”, he stated.

According to him, an estimated 6.6 million people in low and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral therapy.

“Despite this, our vision of reaching Zero New Infections, Zero AIDS Related deaths and Zero AIDS discrimination is greatly being challenged and calls for greater commitment and partnership among all stakeholders”, Mr Haile further stated.

Mr Haile said efforts at achieving Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support had helped to reduce the national prevalence rate from 3.4 per cent in 2004 to 1.5 per cent in 2011. He expressed the hope that the implementation of the new National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS from 2011 to 2015 would help Ghana achieve all universal access goals.

The Ambassador, Federative Republic of Brazil, Madam Irene Vida Gala, said 95 per cent of people living with HIV and AIDS in Brazil received free treatment. She observed that the government, religious bodies and civil society organisations had critical roles to play in bringing to zero HIV and AIDS related issues.

The chair person for the occasion, Nana Hemaa Adjoa Awindor, stated that even though Ghana had made some strides in the fight against the disease, working together was necessary in achieving the ultimate.

That feat, she said, called for the involvement of all, including queens, whom she stated must be trained as advocates to reach out  to members of their communities with the campaign messages.

The Heart-to-Heart Ambassador, Mrs Joyce Mensah, in a testimony of preventing mother-to-child transmission of the disease advised the youth against pre-marital sex since she had HIV at the age of 19 through that act.

Mrs Mensah is currently married, and with the prevention of mother-to-child transmission has two children and both have tested negative for the HIV virus.