As part of their advocate activities the District HIV/AIDS Committee has organized HIV/AIDS Screening and Covid 19 sensitization on Sunday 12th December, 2021 at the Church of Pentecost, Dzolokpuita to create awareness to ensure reduce rate of infection and encourage the public to know their status.
Mr. Gideon Norwon, Public Health Officer from the Health Directorate, Dzolokpuita disclosed that 1st December every year is designated as World AIDS Day internationally since 1988 to create awareness on the pandemic and galvanised support to end the disease. This year’s celebration was on the theme: “End Inequalities, End AIDS, End Pandemic.
He revealed that in Ghana 346,120 people live with HIV with 7% being children, whiles in 2020 18,928 new infections was recorded with 19% being children. He educated members on the mode of transmission, symptoms, prevention and the need to know one’s status.
Mr. Norwon stated that knowing one’s status will help to achieve the goal of HIV/AIDS agenda 95-95-95 fast track and treatment strategy which required that by 2025, 95 percent of all persons living with HIV in the country must be diagnosed, 95 percent of the people diagnosed must be place on antiretroviral treatment and 95 percent of people living on Anti Retoviral treatment be virally suppressed.
He added that the disease won’t be defeated if people living with HIV are marginalised, ignored, shamed or stigmatised. This he believes will encourage them to concel their status, avoid testing and treatment thereby increasing the rate of infection.
He also explained that virally suppressed Person Living with HIV who access antiretroviral have a significantly reduced risk of transmitting the virus to others and can also live a normal life.
On Covid 19, Mr. Gideon Norwon encouraged members to continue adhering to the safety protocols of wearing nose masks in public places, washing hands with soap under running water, Social distancing among others as we are not out of the pandemic.
He indicated that all the covid 19 vaccines used in Ghana; AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are all safe and effective. He therefore urged the citizenry to ignore the myth around the vaccines and get vaccinated to prevent the spread.
Mr. Norwon also explained that Pfizer has been approved to be used for children 15 years and above, which means that our children has the chance of being protected against the disease whiles pursing their education. He appealed to parents to give their consent for their wards to be vaccines.
The District Health Directorate have also made vaccines available to Health centers to enable the citizenry have easy access to the vaccine.
Mr. Eben Nkrumah, the HIV/AIDS Focal Person called on all stakeholders to support to eliminate HIV/ AIDS and Covid 19 in the District.
After the education session, members were given HIV AIDS Screening, BP Sreening and Counselling.
