Ghana Committed to Fight Against HIV/AIDS – Akufo-Addo Assures

President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured officials of the Society for AIDS in Africa, organisers of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), that Ghana remains committed to the local and global fight against “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” (AIDS), which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV).

The fight against HIV/AIDS, a disease that damages the immune system so that the body is less able to fight infection and disease according to President Akufo-Addo, has been taken very seriously in Ghana by the country’s health officials and also by the AIDS commission which is chaired by him as has been the case by all his predecessor presidents of the republic.

Akufo-Addo made this position known at the Jubilee House today, Thursday, 11 July 2024 when he received the President of the Society for AIDS in Africa, Dr David Parerenyatwa, and his delegation when they paid a courtesy call on him as part of their working visit to Ghana.

Ghana and South Africa have been shortlisted as possible hosts for the next International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). South Africa has previously hosted the conference on two occasions and officials at Ghana’s Ministry of Health believe that the Society for AIDS in Africa ought to allow Ghana to host the same instead of South Africa hosting it for a third time.

In his remarks to the delegation, President Akufo-Addo said the HIV/AIDS fight has been highlighted by his administration and that his government feels very strongly about it. An opportunity, therefore, to host the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in Accra will be something that Ghana will welcome very much.

“That is why we have put in a bid to host this conference. Obviously hosting this conference directs the minds of the whole world not just to the disease but also to the location of the conference in terms of our contribution to the fight and that is something we find very fruitful to highlight,” President Akufo-Addo said.

On the invitation of President Akufo-Addo, the Minister for Health, Dr Okoe Boye shared some statistics on the state of Ghana’s fight against HIV/AIDS with Dr David Parerenyatwa and his delegation which included Dr Emmy Chesire, board member of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) and Ms Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director and SAA coordinator at the SAA Permanent Secretariat.

“Ghana is one of the best-performing countries when it comes to managing HIV/AIDS, and our national prevalence of 1.53%, less than 2%, is one of the lowest on the continent The prevalence is a little bit high, 2,3% among prison inmates and 2.5 % amongst people who use and inject drugs, 4.6% amongst female sex workers, 12.3% amongst sexually transmitted illnesses or infections, 26% amongst men who have sex with men and 48% in transgender women,” Okoe Boye said.

“So, these are some of the special groups that the national programme targets to make sure that they get special attention in order to reduce their rate further down. The national prevalence dropped for Ghana from 1.66% in 2020 to 1,53% in 2023. New HIV/AIDS declined consistently from 18,930 in 2020 to 17,774 infections in 2023, and it is expected to drop further to 9,020 by 2025. 12,480 persons were estimated to have died in 2023 from AIDS-related illnesses. It’s a 17.6% reduction from 2020” the health minister added.

Dr David Parerenyatwa, in his remarks, noted that he and his delegation are essential in Ghana to assess the suitability of Ghana as host for 2025 edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, (ICASA) noting that Zimbabwe successfully hosted 2024 edition which had over 8,000 delegates in attendance.

He indicated that for the bid a host nation to be successful, society usually requires commitment from the highest level of the state. To that end, Dr Parerenyatwa noted that the reception he and his delegation has received from the Ghana AIDS Commission and from President Akufo-Addo, points to the fact that Ghana is indeed ready to host the 2025 ICASA.

Towards the tail-end of the 20th century, HIV and AIDS epidemic established itself as the most devastating epidemic, defying the most aggressive scientific battles to combat it. With over 30 million people infected and an estimated 10 million people dead, the epidemic metamorphosed from public health problems into an overall development challenge undermining African renaissance.

The Society for AIDS in Africa was founded in 1989 at the fourth International Symposium on AIDS and Associated Cancers in Africa (now ICASA) held in Marseille France by a group of African scientist, activists and advocates in response to this epidemic. The establishment of the society was the effect of the agitations of some African scientists for the conference to be organized on the African soil. These agitations had begun the previous year (1988) at the third meeting in Arusha, Tanzania. The conference had until then been organized outside the African continent. The cause of these scientists was supported by the Director of WHO, Peter Piot.

At the 1990 conference held in DR Congo, an executive committee was established to oversee the establishment of the society and coordinate subsequent ICASA meetings. The society was officially registered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Founding members of the SAA are: Prof Mboup from Senegal, Prof Kaptue from Cameroon, Dr Sam Okware from Uganda, Prof Soyinka from Nigeria, Prof Kadio and Prof Gershey-Damet from Cote d Ivore, Dr Patrick Kenya and Dr Owili from Kenya, Dr M Pelle from Congo Brazzaville, Dr Kalenganyi and Dr Kapita from DR Congo, Prof Mhalu from Tanzania, Prof Luo from Zambia, Prof Latif from Zimbabwe, Dr Abdulrahman Sow from Mauritania, Dr Kanki P from USA, Prof Abdellah Benslimane from Morocco, Dr Fatia Mohamoud from Sudan and Prof Ahmed Zribi from Tunisia.

The main objectives of SAA’s to contribute to the control and management of HIV infection/AIDS, TB and Malaria throughout Africa and to serve as a forum for the exchange of information on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UNAIDS, International AIDS Society, and other International and national organizations on AIDS.

To work with African States to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria on the African Continent. Organise International Conferences on HIV/AIDS, STIs, TB and Malaria in Africa and collaborate with other organizations in organising specific workshops on HIV and emerging infections.