Feature: Ghana committed to breaking HIV epidemic trajectory

Ghana has recorded significant progress over the last five years in key target areas of fighting HIV/AIDS.

Between 2009 and 2014, the country recorded a 30 percent reduction in new HIV infections and a 43 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths.

The general adult prevalence for HIV has also dropped by over 60 percent in 10 years, from 3.6 percent in 2003 to 1.47 percent in 2014 (AIDS Progress Report, 2015).

The Ghanaian government has also demonstrated increasing ownership of the HIV response through advocacy, policy development and financial support that increased over ten-fold between 2011 and 2015.

These, along with leadership commitments at various levels and across multiple actors, including civil society, the private sector and development partners, have contributed to the progress.

But Ghana is leaving no stone unturned as it is working to accelerate access to HIV testing and treatment toward the achievement of the new global 90 -90 - 90 fast track target.

As a result, the West African nation has incorporated the fast track target into its newly developed National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan for the next five years.

"Ghana is committed to breaking the trajectory of the HIV epidemic in the next five years," Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur reiterated recently.

As part of efforts to close the testing gap and keep people abreast with HIV treatment, Ghana recently launched a national campaign on the "First 90" to accelerate testing and actions towards universal treatment.

"We project that this will result in over 45 percent of the population knowing their HIV status by 2020. We are committed to this ambitious target through mobilizing people and resources, with the support of our partners," the vice-president said while making a statement at the high level meeting on AIDS at the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Despite achieving positive results in the management of the HIV infection over the decade, funding has been a challenge to the national response, with donor support for the AIDS Commission to manage the national response declining due to Ghana's lower middle income status.

Among the successes of the Ghana Aids Commission and its partners is a significant increase in demand for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services, driving up the cost of implementing the national strategic plan for HIV and AIDS.

However, Ghana is diversifying its sources of funding to ensure sustainable and predictable funding for the national response.

The Ghana AIDS Commission Bill currently before Parliament contains clauses establishing and resourcing an HIV and AIDS Fund.

"While acknowledging that mobilization of resources at the national level is necessary, significant scaling up of global funding will be required to end the AIDS epidemic and avoid a rebound of HIV infections," Ghana's vice president said.

"AIDS remains both a universal challenge and a universal responsibility, and international financial support to complement domestic funding of HIV/AIDS programs is critical, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The benefits of investing in AIDS are evident," he told the high-level meeting.

According to Ghana's National Strategic Plan for the HIV/AIDS response, Ghana recorded funding gaps of over 3.65 million U.S. dollars in 2015, and more than 27.62 million dollars in 2016, while projecting to record a gap of more than 47.93 million dollars in 2017. Endit