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A total of 23,495 people tested positive for HIV in the first half of this year (January to June).
The figure is two per cent of the 948,094 people who undertook HIV testing from January to June 2022. They were from different segments of the population, namely: men, pregnant women, non-pregnant women, homosexuals and female sex workers.
The Programme Manager of the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, who made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, said even though last year’s half year figure was 25,545, this year’s figure was too high.
“The figure for this new infection is too high, so we need to intensify education to let people know that HIV is still real; it is around and there must be constant reminders. We have to let people know that they need to stick to the prevention strategies, whether they are children or adults,” he said.
He said of the number of people who presented themselves for testing, four per cent each were from the Bono, Ahafo, Eastern and Western North regions, while the Ashanti and the Greater Accra regions had three per cent each.
For the rest of the regions, he said, while some had two per cent, others had a percentage each.
Dr Ayisi Addo said most of the 23,495 people who tested positive had since been put on HIV treatment.
NKONKONSA.com
