The Lordina Foundation, in partnership with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), has organised an integrated medical outreach in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.
The region was chosen to host the outreach because of its high HIV prevalence in the country.
From the 2024 National and Sub-national HIV estimates and projections, the region had the highest HIV prevalence at 2.22 per cent, which is significantly higher than the national average of 1.49 per cent.
Screening
At the medical outreach last Thursday, hundreds of people received free health services such as HIV and malaria testing, syphilis and TB screening, body mass index (BMI) and nutrition counselling.
Other services included breast examination, blood sugar monitoring, BP, eye and ENT screening, health education and condom demonstration and distribution.
It aimed to ensure early HIV detection and prevention among the youth, while also making a tangible contribution to the health and well-being of the chiefs and people in the region.
The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, was the special guest.
Public health challenge
The First Lady, Lordina Dramani Mahama, President of the foundation, said HIV remained a significant public health challenge.
Quoting statistics, she said more than 334,000 Ghanaians were living with HIV, "unfortunately, the Bono Region is one of the areas most affected.
"This is indeed a serious concern, but when we work together and through education, effective prevention strategies and early testing, we can win the fight against this disease," she said.
Mrs Mahama said the country had committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and urged the public to play their respective roles to achieve the target.
She urged the public, particularly the youth, to take their health seriously and take full advantage of the various health services available to improve their health conditions.
Children's sexuality
Mrs Mahama encouraged parents to speak openly with their children about their health and sexuality.
She appealed to traditional leaders and the clergy to continue to use their respected positions to promote healthy and responsible behaviour in their communities.
"We must end the stigma that surrounds HIV. People living with the virus deserve our love and support, not our judgement and rejection," she said.
Mrs Mahama also expressed the need for the country to pay urgent attention to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, calling for intensive education in communities about the importance of early testing and access to safe delivery services.
Mrs Mahama called on men to encourage and support their wives to attend all antenatal clinic appointments and take their medication as prescribed.
Prevalent among youth
The acting Director-General of the GAC, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, bemoaned the country's continuous recording of new HIV infections each year, particularly among adolescents and young women.
He said the outreach was to promote early detection and prevention of HIV among the youth and strengthen access to integrated health services that meet the needs of young people.
Sustain momentum
The GAC acting DG underscored the need for the country to sustain momentum towards ending the epidemic by 2030.
Dr Akanbong disclosed that from December 3 to 8 this year, the country would host the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) for the first time.
"This is a historic opportunity to showcase Ghana's leadership in health, share our innovations and reaffirm our commitment to a future free of AIDS," he stated.
New infections
For his part, Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, expressed concern about the increasing number of new infections across the country, and particularly in the region.
He said records showed that young people aged between 15 and 40 were leading the HIV infections in the country.
He expressed the hope that there would be more interventions, such as the medical outreach to educate and create more awareness, as part of efforts, to reduce the infection rate.
Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh
