The Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Coordinator of the Ghana Aids Commission, Ahmed Ibrahim Bambila, has expressed worry about the upsurge of activities contributing to HIV infections in the country.
He said the unemployment situation is pushing a lot of young girls into sex work, while young men are also engaged in homosexual activities.
Mr. Bambila indicated that teenage pregnancy is on the ascendancy, explaining, that is a major factor leading to unwanted pregnancy and contributes to the infection of HIV due to unprotected sex.
In an interview with the GNA in Sunyani about the HIV situation in the three Bono regions, Mr Bambila said, Ghana’s HIV population during the 2020 survey was 346,120 with 18,928 new infections, but the HIV prevalence in the Bono Region among the general population stood at 2.5 per cent and pregnant women at 4.2 per cent.
He said stigma and discrimination against HIV patients are high, saying it does not promote the reduction of HIV occurrence.
Mr Bambila called for more encouragement and support for people living with HIV because there is evidence that if patients constantly take their medication for six months, they will attain viral suppression.