Patients can reach HIV undetectable level with strict medication – Pharmacist

 Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) have been urged to strictly follow their antiretroviral medication as doing so will help them to reach the undetectable level. 

Head of Pharmacy at the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, Madam Irene Boateng who gave the advice, explained that the current medications were potent, and when religiously taken and reached the undetectable level, HIV-positive people would not be able to transmit the virus to others.

 Madam Boateng, speaking at an inception meeting for the implementation of an anti-stigma HIV project, stressed that “research has shown that when the viral load level is undetectable, such persons can’t transmit the virus. Our aim is to get to those level.” 

She said those put on the drugs were tested every six months to check the viral load, adding that such medication had helped mothers diagnosed with HIV deliver negative babies. 

She revealed that all babies born to HIV-positive mothers tested negative as they religiously followed the medication and urged relatives and opinion leaders to encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal where they would be tested and put on medication when positive to protect the babies and their partners. 

Touching on stigma and disclosure, she said a couple or individuals had the legal right not to reveal their status to their pastors when tested as part of preparations towards marriage. 

“It is the legal right of the couple to decide to disclose or not; that is why we don’t even give a written result to the couple. It is their choice, not that of the pastor,” she said. 

The pharmacist said there was a need for professional counselling for the couple to let them know the available interventions to rely on to still have intercourse and have children without the other partner or children that they would give birth to contracting the disease. 

“Most of the time, where counselling goes on well, the couple goes ahead and marries and gets children who are not affected by HIV,” she emphasised. 

On stigma, she said they were looking forward to a time when HIV positive would feel free to disclose it just like people do with hypertension or diabetes, noting that in South Africa, people openly talked about their status without fear of being stigmatised or discriminated against. 

Mr Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, the Executive Director of Unisphere Alliance, giving a brief of the project, said his organisation was the implementing institution of the project, which is under the auspices of the Ghana-West Africa Program to Combat AIDS and STIs (WAPCAS) and forms part of the Global Fund Cycle Seven (GC7) implementation in Ghana. 

Mr Ortsin said the project aimed at intensifying education, advocacy, and empowerment on the disease through several activities, including interactive sessions with schools, churches, and identifiable groupings. 

He revealed that one of the major challenges faced in the fight against the spread of HIV was stigma as it led to the silent spread of the virus, stating that “in South Africa and Botswana, their prevalence rates are around 11 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, so there is no stigma; they openly go to the clinic and take their medication.” 

He said the campaign was to try to prevent people from being judgemental and give the needed support to positive people. 

Madam Joanna Anorkor Lartey, the Tema Metro TB/HIV Coordinator, appealed to churches to urge their members to fully participate in HIV voluntary testing, as knowing the status was the first step in managing the virus and preventing the spread. 

She lamented that sometimes during screening at churches, the members refuse to participate, with sometimes as few as 10 people participating.