The Western Region now has the largest population of female sex workers estimated at twenty thousand. This has been attributed to the growth of natural resource industries.
The development has also led to a rise in the HIV prevalence among these groups which currently stands at 7%, a figure higher than that of the general population which is one 1.7%.
It is against this backdrop that Ghana and the US have set a target to reach epidemic control, fewer number of new HIV infections and HIV related deaths in the Western Region by 2020.
In order to achieve this goal, Ghana adopted the UNAIDS 90-90-90 fast track goals to ensure that ninety percent of people living with HIV know their status, ninety percent of those who know their positive status receive treatment and ninety percent of people on treatment are virally suppressed.
Speaking at the launch of the New Western Regional Joint Strategy for Achieving HIV and AIDS Epidemic Control, at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan said through collaboration, set targets can be reached.
Out of 334,000 Ghanaians who live with HIV, only 73% know their status and less than half are on treatment.
The Western Region, according to a UNAIDS report, has the largest population of female sex workers in the country. It also has the largest gap between the percentage of people living with HIV who know their status and those who know their status and are on treatment.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan said it has become necessary for a collaborative effort to achieve the 90-90-90 goal.
Ambassador Sullivan noted that although Ghana has commendably strong policies and guidelines for service provision in relation to HIV/AIDS, the situation is quite different when it comes to implementation.
The Acting Director-General, Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene added that the country has the requisite standards, logistics and capacity in terms of clinicians and health personnel.
He said this, therefore, leaves no room for failure.
He assured staff of the Ghana Health Service of government’s commitment towards ensuring that the epidemic is controlled.
