PEPFAR marks 10th anniversary

Strengthening the gains chalked in the fight against HIV and AIDS as well as achieving the 90, 90, 90 target depends on stopping the stigmatization of infected persons, says Ms Dzid Enyonam Kwame, the Media Specialist for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

By 2020, it is hoped that 90 percent of persons will know their HIV status, 90 percent on antiretroviral drugs and 90 percent of people living with the condition would have viral suppression in subjecting the HIV and AIDS disease under control and avoid spread.

Ms Kwame, who was speaking to journalists at the regional celebration of the 10th anniversary of the operations of PEPFAR in Ghana, said HIV is comparable to any disease condition and there is no need to subject people with the condition to any inhuman treatment either by healthcare givers, families or the larger society.

She said through the generosity of the American people, PEPFAR would focus more on the future with more interventions to be made in making what seems impossible possible for the common good of all.

The anniversary celebration was held under the theme: “Saving lives through American Generosity and Partnership”. The PEPFAR intervention by the American government has saved 13 high HIV burdened countries who are poised to achieve epidemic control by 2020.

Currently, PEPFAR supports 14 million people living with the condition globally. Meanwhile, 2.2 million babies have been born to carrier mothers but without the condition with 6.4 million orphans and vulnerable cared for by the project.

The PEPFAR initiative launched in 2003 by the Bush administration has made deaths from HIV and AIDS a thing of the past.

Reverend John Azumah, an HIV/AIDS Ambassador, urged health workers to show more love and care for infected individuals whilst desisting from disclosing their status arbitrarily.

He also called on the Ghana Health Service and other health training schools to make it a subject of concern in the training schools such that it would provide more insight to trainee nurses.

Later 242 people were tested at the Takoradi market circle as part of activities marking the celebration.

Source: GNA