Launch of HIV Antiretroviral Therapy at 20

The Ghana Health Service has launched HIV Antiretroviral Therapy at 20 in Accra. It is an event to step up awareness of the availability, and accessibility of the service to improve on coverage and make public the successes and impact of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) on the lives of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). This is to further generate demand for the service for higher linkage, retention, and viral suppression.

Twenty years ago, the landscape of HIV/AIDS care underwent a remarkable transformation with the introduction of antiretroviral therapy in Ghana. This therapy revolutionized the field, providing hope, extending lives, and improving the quality of life of those living with this devastating disease. For the past 20 years, the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, under the Disease Control Department of the Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, has concentrated its efforts on the provision of comprehensive care for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) using Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). This has impacted positively on the lives of persons living with HIV.

The Chairperson who is also the Presidential Adviser on HIV/AIDS, Dr Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi said the celebration marks the beginning of a new era, offering hope and life-saving treatment to millions of individuals affected by this devastating but now manageable chronic disease. The Director of the Public Health Division, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe emphasized that over the past two decades, anti-retroviral therapy has continued to evolve and improve, leading to remarkable outcomes.

The Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye again stressed the need to intensify efforts to educate and sensitize communities and dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV and Antiretroviral (ARV).

Considering the number of PLHIV initiated on ART and the percentage having achieved viral suppression and improved quality of life, it is an undeniable assertion that ART came in handy and at the right time. Also, it has been a game changer both in improving quality of life and reducing new infections including MTCT, which now stands at 9.1% and 17.25% at 6 weeks and 18 months, respectively. The celebration runs with the theme “20 years of HIV Antiretroviral Treatment in Ghana: Celebrating the Progress, Ending the Epidemic.”