Tema Polyclinic records 106 HIV infections in 2021

The Tema Polyclinic recorded a total of 106 positive cases of HIV infections in 2021 – an average of nine infections every month.

Nana Tekyiwaa Frempoma II, the Principal Midwifery Officer in Charge of the Anti-Retroviral Therapy and Sexual Transmitted Infections, said this called for increased public education to stop the spread of the infection.

She told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that they saw 10 positive cases in the first month of this year.

Two of the infected persons are teenagers and there is also one infected pregnant woman.

Nana Frempoma, who is also the Nimfahema of the Efuti Traditional Area, said people must protect themselves from the infection by either abstaining from sex or using the condom.

She encouraged people to go for voluntary tests to know their HIV status, adding that the test was free.

Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programmes Manager, National AIDS/STI Control Programme, has announced that more than 900 people died of HIV between January and June, last year, more than COVID-19 deaths in the country during the same period.

He told the Ghana News Agency that “HIV is worse than COVID-19”, adding that new cases of HIV were being recorded among persons aged between 15 and19 years.

What this means is that new infections are appearing in the younger age group.

Dr. Ayisi Addo said persons who were cohabiting had the highest prevalence of 3.5 per cent, while singles accounted for 3.1 per cent and the married 2.5 per cent.

To stop the spread, he said the education campaign needed to be ramped up.

Source: GNA