Only 153,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS are on medication – AIDS Commission

Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Kyeremeh Atuahene, has disclosed that only 153,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the country are receiving medication.

According to the statistics provided, the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS rose from 339,727 in 2019 to 345,534 in 2020, with about 46,000 individuals not receiving any treatment.

Speaking to UniversNews, the Director-General said some of these infected individuals are not undergoing treatment because they are living in denial of their status as HIV/AIDS positive patients.

“The estimated numbers of people, who are supposed to know their HIV status, are not under treatment. Now, it may not be a refusal as such, we have some people who are in denial. They think they haven’t done anything that must have exposed them to the infection,” he remarked.

He also pointed out that some persons who have been infected believe they are healthy enough to neglect treatments available.

“Many of them look healthy, feel healthy; They know they are not sick and so they don’t see the need to be on treatment and that is the danger because treatment is better when done early,” he said.

Mr Kyeremeh is therefore urging infected persons to accept their status and receive early treatment from health facilities across the country to prolong the longevity of their lives, as well as reduce the spread of the virus.