Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE), an NGO in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality on 1st August, 2024 launched the ‘YOWE HIV and AIDS Volunteerism Project’, at the Municipal Assembly Conference Hall. The program is founded by Star Ghana Foundation.
Mr. Emmanuel Nuetey Siakwa, Executive Director for YOWE in his speech stated that the HIV patients in the Lower Manya Krobo is about 35% of the total figure of HIV/AIDS patients Nationwide which is very alarming and the earlier something is done about it the better. He said this has necessitated the formation of the project with the objective to reduce the impact to at least 10% if not total eradication hence the name Reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS through Volunteerism in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality’.
Making a presentation on the issue, a representative from Atua and the St. Martins Hospital updated the gathering on the state of treatment for the HIV clients. According to the representative of Atua Government Hospital, as at June 2024, Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-Nine (1,659) people visited their facility for treatment, only Five Hundred and Forty-Two (542) comprising One Hundred and Twenty-Five (125) males and Four Hundred and Seventeen ( 417) females are on regular treatment.
The representative from St. Martins Hospital also stated that Five Thousand Two Hundred and Three (5,203) clients reported for the treatment of the virus, and only Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty-Seven (1,747) comprising Six Hundred and Thirty-Nine (639) males and Thousand One Hundred and Eight (1,108) females are on regular treatment. Judging from the two submissions, out of a total of Six Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-Two (6,862) clients, only Two Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine (2,289) are on regular treatment, whilst Four Thousand Five Hundred and Seventy-Three (4,573) have stopped visiting the facilities. Both hospitals have lost contacts with these clients due to failure to do follow-up. When personnel of the facilities investigated as to why the clients stopped visiting for treatment the following observations such as stigma and discrimination, treatment fatigue, amongst others were made. According to the health professionals, the clients who receive regular treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load (UVL) are less likely to transmit the virus to others through sexual contact.
Presenting to the gathering on the aims and objectives of the project, a representative from the YOWE stated that ‘The project seeks to equip and support community volunteers to help improve adherence and reduce ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) defaulting rate by at least 10% among persons living with HIV/AIDS in the Lower Manya Municipality’. Expected volunteers to be equipped to help undertake this project are community volunteers, community nurses, retired nurses, and queen mothers.
Rtd. Cat. Mercy Fiagbor, the Vice Chairman of YOWE, officially launched the project. Representativesfrom the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, Municipal Health Directorate,Atua Government Hospital, St. Martins Hospital, Lower Manya Queen Mothers, Rite FM, Ghana Web, and YOWE signed a stakeholders’ commitment pledge to ensure this project is successful.
By: Abraham Tettey Wayo MIO: Lower Manya Krobo.