Ghana records over 13,000 new HIV infections-GAC

Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, the Director General (D-G) of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) says the country has recorded 13,795 new infections of HIV.

He said the Bono Region alone recorded over 1,000 cases of the new infections this year, calling on everybody to avoid unhealthy sexual lifestyle and behaviours.

"However, if you have a lot of boyfriends and girlfriends and you think that, look, one of them will give you the risk, there are provisions for that and you can use medication to protect yourself", he advised.

Dr Akanbong disclosed the figures in an interview with the media on the sidelines of a two-day workshop on strengthening legal assistance organisations involvement in service provision for HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) at Abesim, near Sunyani.

The GAC in collaboration with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) with support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Global Fund organised the workshop.

Describing HIV as public health threat, Dr Akanbong emphasised that HIV had been transformed into a manageable chronic condition like others.

He explained that the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) were always available for the risky population.

Dr Akanbong said that the PrEP was a medication person at risk could take to prevent themselves from new infections of HIV.

With the PEP, Dr Akanbong explained that PeP "If you get yourself into a compromising situation of sexual act that you have not planned for and you think there is a higher risk of getting it you can go for medication and protect yourself too".

Sompaonline.com/Stella Kyere