Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, Feb. 19, GNA – Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Programmes Manager, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), has asked the clergy not to refuse to bless marriages of persons living with HIV (PLHIV).
He said getting married to an HIV-positive person was not dangerous as perceived by many because antiretroviral treatment suppressed the virus and stopped it from spreading.
Dr Ayisi-Addo spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the 20th anniversary celebration media launch of antiretroviral treatment in Ghana.
An estimated 354,927 people are currently living with HIV in Ghana.
Out of this, seven per cent are children aged zero to four (0-4) years, six per cent represent adolescents aged 10-19, whilst the remaining 87 per cent are adults.
As of December 2023, Ghana’s HIV current prevalence rate stood at 1.7 per cent of the general population.
The prevalence, however, is much higher amongst key populations, particularly female sex workers, 4.6 per cent and men who have sex with men, 26 per cent.
In December 2003, Ghana began the treatment of HIV through Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), which keeps affected persons stronger and increases their life expectancy.
The Programmes Manager of the NACP, said ideally, any HIV-positive patient on ART treatment with strict adherence should have viral suppression within six months, adding that contacts of such persons would not be affected by the virus.
“Religiously, we are talking to pastors not to deny anybody who is HIV a marriage blessing, they should rather be encouraged to marry because love is bigger than HIV.”
“People are surviving with HIV today more than other disease conditions, we need to encourage pastors to bless such marriages and encourage people with HIV to marry as well, once there is no exclusion criteria for people who have any other diseases not to marry.
“I have a lot of clients who are serodiscordant couples, one is positive, one is negative and they have given birth to three, four children who are all negative. So why do you deny anybody?
“As long as they’re taking their medications, they’re not going to pass the virus to their spouses and children,” he stated.
He said HIV-positive patients must be encouraged and supported to ensure adherence to ensure viral suppression to prevent further spread.
“A lot of work in terms of reinforcing adherence needs to be done because sometimes it becomes a chronic disease like hypertension, diabetes and people get tired, some also go to herbalists, and prayer camps just because of stigmatisation, social reasons and long distance to the treatment sites among others.”
Dr Ayisi Addo added that plans were in place to ensure the number of ART sites was increased to enable clients to get the medicines closer to their doorstep, saying at the moment there were about 800 ART sites even though the country had close to 6,000 health facilities.
“Ideally, all the health facilities should have the drug so that people can access it. So, part of this celebration is to reinforce adherence and all the things it takes to showcase the success stories.”
He said some HIV-positive persons had not attained viral suppression due to a lack of adherence to medications.
The Programme Manager called on the public to be supportive and stop stigmatisation against HIV persons and encourage them to avail themselves of treatment.
He said the NACP was in the process of formulating strategies in addressing issues of stigmatisation and that with support from partners, it was orienting HIV patients to stop stigmatising themselves.
He also called on the public to support the AIDS fund and sustain the fight against stigmatisation to achieve epidemic control in a few years.
GNA
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
News Related
-
, Nov. 28 — One of the most anticipated Android releases for 2023 has been the Google Pixel 8 lineup. The Pixel series is often considered the best of what Android has to offer since it brings the true stock Android experience. The Pixel 8 Pro was globally released on ...
See Details:
Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Is this the best Android phone of 2023?
-
A blank space or an (NR) indicates no readings received. An (e) indicates that the water level has been estimated. An (w) indicates that the conditions were very windy, resulting in an inaccurate reading. Omatjenne Dam does not have abstraction facilities. The dam contents are according to the latest dam ...
See Details:
Namwater Dam Bulletin on Monday 27 November 2023
-
Dhaka, Nov. 27 — Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has been appointed chair of the international advisory board of Moscow’s Financial University (under the government of the Russian Federation). On November 23, he joined a high-level strategic meeting with Prof Stanislav Prokofiev, Rector of the Financial University, and his colleagues. ...
See Details:
Dr Yunus appointed chair of Moscow Financial University's international advisory board
-
In a pivotal encounter at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 World Cup Africa Final Monday, the Cricket Cranes faced Nigeria, knowing that a win could significantly boost their chances of securing one of the coveted tickets to the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA.Nigeria won ...
See Details:
Victory over Nigeria puts Uganda on the brink
-
Capture 1 The Bank Ghana (BoG) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has maintained the key policy rate at 30 percent, while introducing additional liquidity management measures to address excess liquidity and reinforce the disinflation process. Announcing the committee’s decision on Monday following its 115th meeting, BoG Governor Dr. Ernest Addison said ...
See Details:
BoG holds policy rate at 30%, tightens liquidity measures
-
Renita Holmes has been displaced four times in the past three years by rising rents With sea levels rising around the globe, Miami, in the US state of Florida, is facing an urgent need to adapt. As property investors turn their gaze inland, away from the exclusive low-lying beach area, ...
See Details:
When sea levels rise, so does your rent
-
Picture2 In a groundbreaking moment, Mrs. Adelaide Siaw Agyepong, CEO-American International School, has achieved yet another milestone by being crowned ‘Icon of Inspiration and Impact for the Year 2023’. The crowning achievement took place in Accra, where Mrs. Siaw Agyepong surpassed contemporaries to clinch this prestigious title at the 5th ...
See Details:
American International School CEO honoured as ‘Icon of Inspiration and Impact’
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
Sierra Leone prison breaks co-ordinated - minister
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
Address the rise of single parenthood
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
Hyundai Chief Picked as Auto Industry Leader of the Year
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
Unmarried People Under 35 Outnumber Married Ones
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
European interior ministers in Hungary to discuss migration
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
Japan on the watch for unlicensed taxis around Narita airport amid foreign tourism spike
-
Freetown’s streets were almost empty on Sunday after a curfew was imposed Gunmen in Sierra Leone attacked a military barracks and freed hundreds of prisoners in a “co-ordinated and properly planned” attack, the country’s information minister has said. Sierra Leoneans spent Sunday under a nationwide curfew amid disarray in capital ...
See Details:
ECOWAS to send high-powered delegation on solidarity visit to Sierra Leone
OTHER NEWS
Despite doing education at the university, Mellon Kenyangi, also known as Mama Bear, did not think of going to class, and teaching students was her dream job.“Since it was not ...
Read more »
213 Sri Lanka Cricket’s Chairman of Selectors, Pramodya Wickramasinghe reported to the Sports Ministry’s Special Investigation Unit( SMSIU) for the Prevention of Sports Offences yesterday for the second day. He ...
Read more »
137 Malindu Dairy (Pvt) Ltd., a leading food production company in Sri Lanka, won the Silver Award in the medium-scale dairy and associated products category at the Industrial Excellence Awards ...
Read more »
Africans Urged to Invest Among themselves, Explore Investment Opportunities in Continent Addis Ababa, November 27/2023(ENA)-The Embassy of Angola in Ethiopia has organized lecture on the “Foreign Investment Opportunities in Angola ...
Read more »
144 The dynamic front row player Mohan Wimalaratne will lead the Police Sports Club Rugby team at the upcoming Nippon Paint Sri Lanka Rugby Major League XV-a-side Rugby Tournament scheduled ...
Read more »
Dozens of people living with disabilities from New Hope Inclusive in Entumbane, Bulawayo on Saturday last week received an early Christmas gift in the form of groceries. The groceries were ...
Read more »
The East African Community (EAC) Summit of Heads of State has admitted the Federal Republic of Somalia to the regional bloc, making it its 8th member country. The decision was ...
Read more »