Audio By Carbonatix
Some 1072 persons made up of 636 females and 436 males in 2019, tested positive to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Tema.
Also, 817 of the number tested at Tema South where Tema General Hospital, a referral hospital is located while Tema North accounted for 103 of the cases; Manhean and Community One Clinics tested 78 and 74 respectively.
Francisca P. Adzre, Tema Metropolitan HIV Programme Coordinator, disclosed this at the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate’s performance review, said the 1,072 tested positive out of a total of 12,649 people counseled and tested.
Madam Adzre indicated that 190 out of the figure were pregnant women who tested positive under the Preventive Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme which seeks to prevent the transmission of HIV from affected mothers to their foetus.
The PMTCT positive figure showed a decrease in the 230 recorded in 2018 and 219 documented in 2017.
Giving more details on the PMTCT, she noted that out of a total of 11,768 antenatal clinics (ANC) registrants in 2019, 11,278 were tested for HIV at the early stage of pregnancy while 11,037 retook the test at 34 weeks of their gestation.
She stated that her outfit was working hard to reduce new infections among the population of Tema Metro and its environs by at least 10 per cent as well as to achieve the global aim of having at least 90 per cent of the people to test to know their status, 90 per cent of those testing positive to receive sustained Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) and 90 per cent of those on ART to have their viral load suppressed.
Touching on their challenges, she revealed that HIV services were not integrated into other services, missing opportunities of infants born to HIV positive mothers at Child Welfare Clinics (CWC) and inpatient wards in addition to lack of support from the Metropolitan Assembly, weak load testing programmes and financial constraints among others.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
UK Fire Aid donates fire tender, equipment to GNFS to boost emergency response
3 hours -
Man’s hand severed in cutlass clash at Akyem Nkwanum
4 hours -
McIlroy ‘more motivated than ever’ before return
4 hours -
No clear law governs re-arrest of discharged suspects – Justice Abdulai on Hanan, wife re-arrest
4 hours -
GES releases 2026/27 academic calendar; BECE set for May 2027
4 hours -
UCL: PSG beat Bayern on aggregate to set up final against Arsenal
4 hours -
Tariq Lamptey set to have Fiorentina contract terminated – Reports
5 hours -
Four burnt to death in head-on collision at Anyinasin Junction
5 hours -
Ghana, UAE agree to deepen energy and investment cooperation
5 hours -
Old Tafo Assembly cracks down on encroachment at Atimatim Junction
5 hours -
FIFA impose worldwide ban on Benfica’s Prestianni
5 hours -
Kasoa hillside residents fear erosion as climate change intensifies rainfall, experts call for urgent action
6 hours -
Stalled Kumasi, Takoradi market projects to resume as gov’t moves to secure funding
6 hours -
NPP demands release of Hanan Abdul-Wahab, wife, cites abuse of power by EOCO
7 hours -
GES warns schools against unauthorised fee collection from students
7 hours