AIDS is no more scary - President of Ghana AIDS Network

Mr Emmanuel Beluzebr, the President of the Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (NAP+), says the pandemic (HIV and AIDS) is no more a scare in Ghana.

Mr Beluzebr said HIV and AIDS test had seen massive turnout as many Ghanaians were now willing to know their status knowing that 'the disease is no more a death sentence'.

'People are confidently trooping to all the various heath centres across the nation for the test.'

He said the development was the result of government's continuous efforts in championing robust initiatives to safeguard the lives of people diagnosed with HIV.

He also said the NAP+ had seen membership increment as those who tested positive had joined, which he explained, had provided more hands for the organisation's sensitisation projects on the pandemic.

'Even though, the number of people who test positive + nowadays for the pandemic is reducing, we still get very dedicated persons to join our network,' he observed.

The NAP+ President was interacting with the Ghana News Agency on the signing of an Aide Memoire geared to accelerate the implementation of an HIV and AIDS preventive initiative dubbed: 'National Strategic Plan 90-90-90,' in Accra.

The five-year strategic plan championed by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) seeks to ensure that, by 2020, 90 per cent of HIV infected persons would know their status and receive sustained antiretroviral therapy to help achieve viral suppression.

Antiretroviral therapy refers to the use of pharmacologic agents that have specific inhibitory effects on HIV replication or multiplication.

Mr Beluzebr lauded government for its efforts in intensifying HIV and AIDS educational and awareness creation projects.

He said it had aided the public in understanding the causes, prevention and treatment of the pandemic.

He said the projects had helped reduce the spread of the disease as people were desisting from engaging in all behaviours that could expose them to contracting the virus.

'People are now mindful about the disease and they are doing everything to protect themselves and others in order not to risk their lives,' Mr Beluzebr noted.

He expressed confidence in the GAC's strategic plan, saying it would drastically reduce death cases emanating from HIV and AIDs.

The NAP+ said the organisation had also intensified its community campaigns to contribute to governments concerted efforts to bring the spread of the disease to halt.