GHANA HAS ACHIEVED MANY SUCCESSES IN ENSURING HIV FREE FUTURE......SAYS FIRST LADY

The Lordina Foundation has over the years conducted health outreach programme across the country with that aim of creating awareness about Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, and the reproductive health of women in general.

First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama who is the President of the Foundation believes that prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission is important for Ghana to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV from mothers to their children.

However, only 75% of pregnant women living with HIV received Antiretrovirals for PMTCT in 2014 and only 30% of HIV positive Children received treatment.

It is against this background, the Lordina Foundation, in collaboration with the OAFLA Ghana Chapter, the Ghana AIDS Commission and partners, has been conducting advocacy on Prevention of Mother-to Child Transmission of HIV, and Keeping Mothers Alive, to support the country’s efforts to eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

The First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama is excited that expectations of the foundation and other partners are likely to be realized, because their engagements with eight regions, that is, Eastern, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Western, Central, Greater Accra, Volta and Ashanti have yielded great results.

At a recently health screening held in Bawjiase in the Central Region, Mrs Lordina Mahama announced that  Ghana has achieved many successes in ensuring HIV free future. According to her with collaborative effort of the Ghana Aids Commission, Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV (OAFLA), UNAIDS and the Lordina Foundation, Ghana has been able to reduce annual AIDS deaths by 43 percent, achieved 50 percent reduction in transmission of HIV from mother-to-child, treated 66 percent of infected pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and prevalence of HIV among exposed babies has reduced to 8 percent at birth and 21percent after breastfeeding down from 32percent.

Mrs Mahama noted that in spite of these successes there are challenges that threatens to undermine the success if stakeholders in the health sector do not double their efforts, and work together, to address the remaining and new challenges, in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission.

She mentioned traditions that disempower women from taking personal decisions on their health; culture of fear, discrimination and non-acceptance of HIV status by male counterparts as some of the challenges.

‘’It is for these reasons that this advocacy that I am spearheading, stresses community involvement, and the involvement of men, in supporting their partners to access HIV and reproductive health services’’ the First lady noted.

She added that adolescents continue to experience, elevated HIV vulnerability, with the greatest risk of exposure yet until recently, they have hardly been at the centre of discussions, at the global and national levels.

The surest way to move Ghana towards an HIV free future, through the Prevention of Mother-to-Child-Transmission, safe sex and reduction of stigma; and significantly reduce the number of cervical and breast cancers, that occur in society the First lady believes, is  by encouraging women to test for HIV and conduct regular breast self-examination.

She expressed the commitment of government to continue to place importance on and implement the National Strategic Plan 2016-2020 on HIV/AIDS and work towards achieving fast-track targets of 90% of People Living with HIV know their status, 90% of People Living with HIV on Antiretroviral treatment and 90% immune suppression.

Director General of the Ghana Aids Commission, Dr. Angela El Adas for her part said considering the busy schedule of women they hardly find time to visit the hospital for regular checkup hence the medical outreach to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of women. She indicated that out of every ten people, seven people made up of women and children are affected with HIV.

Dr. El Adas entreated women to be concerned about their health and find time to visit the hospital on regular basis, since their health is more important than any other thing.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hannah Tetteh, who doubles as the Member for Parliament for Awutu Senya thanked the First Lady for organizing the health screening for the people of Bawjiase who fall under her constituency. She assured the First Lady she would do her best to ensure that the people take advantage of the screening.

Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr who is the Deputy Central Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Agona urged the people to vote based on the developmental projects being undertaken by President Mahama.

The people of Bawjiase and its environs were tested for HIV, screened for Cervical and breast cancers, syphilis and other reproductive health diseases.

The First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama will not relent in her efforts in bring healthcare to the door steps of Ghanaians as a way of ensuring universal access to healthcare.