GHS establishes more POC testing sites for pregnant women to curb Neonatal HIV

The Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has expanded its Point-of-Care (POC) testing for HIV among pregnant women to 15 out of the region’s 33 districts and municipalities.

Previously, the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua was the sole testing centre, leading to delays in results and missed opportunities for early intervention for HIV-positive pregnant women.

This expansion is part of efforts to curb Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV, which remains a serious concern.

Data from the 2023 national HIV and AIDS estimates showed that 17,774 people became newly infected with HIV, including 1,698 children under 15 and 1,520 adolescents.

In total, 334,095 people were living with HIV in Ghana last year, systems with a significant portion being women and children, underscoring the importance of preventing vertical transmissions.

The new POC sites aim to provide rapid results, enabling early initiation of HIV therapy and preventive measures for pregnant women. The GHS hopes this will help eliminate MTCT in the region.

Speaking to Starr News, Mrs. Gifty Addo-Tetebo, the Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS/STI Coordinator, encouraged pregnant women to attend antenatal care services where they can access the necessary HIV testing and counselling. “We want every pregnant mother to access antenatal care. While it is acceptable for them to seek spiritual support, the health facilities provide the essential testing and counselling services needed to prevent mother-to-child transmission,” she stated.

She explained that women who test negative will receive guidance on how to remain negative, with a follow-up test at 34 weeks. Those who test positive will immediately begin treatment to prevent transmission to their babies. “If the babies are born, we will continue to intervene to ensure they remain healthy,” Mrs. Addo-Tetebo added.

To ensure the effectiveness of the initiative, district public health nurses from the POC sites are undergoing a two-day training session in Koforidua. This training aims to enhance their capacity for monitoring and supervision to ensure that MTCT interventions are implemented successfully.

Mrs. Gifty Addo-Tetebo believes the workshop will build capacity of the public health Nurses to play their monitoring and supervision roles effectively to ensure that all pregnant women know their status and those who tested positive strictly undergo therapy.

She urged the public to desist from stigmatizing children with parents living with HIV/AIDS.

Some participants of the workshop expressed optimism about the initiative. Nana Afua Konadu Agyemang, Principal Nursing Officer for Public Health in Abuakwa South, said, “We are here to learn, then go back to our communities and create awareness to prevent HIV transmission among infants.”

Comfort Selby, Deputy Director of Nursing for the Asuogyaman District, added, “We want to empower community health nurses to identify pregnant women, conduct testing, and ensure infants are not infected with HIV, especially in hard-to-reach areas.”

This initiative aligns with global efforts to eliminate MTCT by integrating prevention into maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health services and strengthening health systems.

According to WHO, of the 1.37 million [1.11 million-1.73 million] children aged 0-14 living with HIV globally, only 57 [41-75] per cent were receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2023.

Children under age 15 account for about 3 per cent of all people living with HIV, 9 per cent of new HIV infections and 12 per cent of all AIDS-related deaths.

Children under 1 year of age are among those most vulnerable to HIV. Evidence shows that early initiation of antiretroviral drugs in infants with HIV can save lives, yet coverage of critical intervention among children remains too low.