Ghana AIDS Commission Distributes Over 35,000 Condoms to Curb HIV Spread
Efforts Intensify as Stakeholders Address Stigma, Funding Challenges, and Rising HIV Infections
- 35,600 condoms handed out in the Upper West Region to curb HIV spread.
- Stigma, funding shortages, and increasing MSM practices hinder progress
- CSOs, faith-based groups, and the media urged to intensify advocacy and interventions
The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has distributed 35,600 condoms across the Upper West Region in 2024 as part of intensified efforts to combat the spread of HIV.
The condoms, disseminated through public events and picked up individually from GAC offices, form part of the commission’s strategies to promote safe practices.
This was disclosed by Mr. Osei-Bonsu Gyamfi, Upper West Regional Technical Coordinator of GAC, during the second Regional Committee of the Ghana AIDS Commission (RECCOM) meeting in Wa.
The meeting brought together stakeholders to assess progress, address challenges, and devise new strategies to end HIV/AIDS in the region. Key issues discussed included limited funding for HIV-related initiatives, lack of active Civil Society Organisation (CSO) involvement, stigma, and increasing reports of Men Sexing Men (MSM) practices.
Mr. Gyamfi also called on the media to intensify advocacy and help dismantle stigma against persons living with HIV/AIDS. Echoing this, Mr. Dramani Abdul-Razak of Hope for Future Generation (HFFG) emphasized the importance of reducing discrimination to better integrate affected individuals into society.
Despite challenges, the commission remains committed to sensitization campaigns, rigorous HIV testing, and service provision to curb new infections, which have dropped from 368 in 2022 to 300 in 2023 in the Upper West Region.
Representatives from CSOs, faith-based organizations, and the National Association of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NAP+) participated in the discussions to strengthen collaborative efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
