Editorial (The Daily Searchlight, Monday, 26th September 2022)
Figures released at a day’s workshop in Accra presuppose that the incidence of HIV infections is on the increase and the country needs to sit up to reduce the infections.
Speakers at the workshop unanimously called for RETHINKING and RESITUATING; to say the country must as a matter of urgency devise new strategies, methods, schemes and standards to stop its escalation in the country.
One of the presenters, Rev Ken Danso from the National Aids Control Program said Ghana recorded its first case of HIV was in 1986. Since that time the disease has been with us in spite of all attempts to tame it.
Rev Dansoh emphasized that Aids does not have any cure so citizens must do their best to avoid infection. He disclosed that some unsuspecting men and women are walking around with no knowledge that they are infected with the disease.
According to him about 345,000 Ghanaians are infected with the disease and 71% of the figure is diagnosed and are on drugs, but the 29% have not been diagnosed and/or put on any medication.
Such people are walking around and supposedly infecting people unknowingly
The Daily Searchlight is of the opinion that the claims on HIV/AIDS are indeed alarming and should be addressed frontally.
There used to be a time in our country when we had a significant dialogue on this pandemic, but it seems that of late it has been knocked off the front burner.
The revelations from the National Aids Control Program should alert all Ghanaians as to the existence of the pandemic. We believe that it is only by alertness and proactive action that we can reduce the increasing rate of infection and prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
The time to act, we believe, is now, before we end up with even worse statistics in the near future.
