Accra: Dr. Anthony Ashinyo, Deputy Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, says achieving viral suppression remains Ghana's strongest tool in protecting future generations from HIV. According to him, Ghana could significantly reduce and ultimately eliminate new HIV infections by ensuring that all persons living with the virus attained and maintained an undetectable viral load.
According to Ghana News Agency, speaking at a stakeholder engagement on the Other Vulnerable Populations (OVP) Project being implemented by the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) under the Global Fund Grant Cycle Seven (GC7), Dr. Ashinyo said the core objective was to put HIV-positive persons on treatment early and ensure consistent adherence. The workshop sought to update key stakeholders on the progress of the OVP Project, share best practices, and strengthen collaboration with the media to ensure effective public education and awareness.
The OVP project is being implemented across 25 districts in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, and Central Regions. Dr. Ashinyo explained that once an individual reaches an undetectable state of the virus in their system, it means they cannot transmit HIV to others. He noted that, when people living with HIV take their medication daily and suppress the virus, the possibility of transmitting HIV through unprotected sex or other means becomes extremely low.
Dr. Ashinyo underscored the importance of removing stigma and discrimination, which often prevented infected people from seeking treatment. He explained that if communities, health systems, local authorities, and traditional leaders worked together to encourage early testing and treatment, Ghana could drastically cut new infections. He emphasized that if Ghana is able to find all those living with HIV, remove the stigma, and create an environment where they can freely access treatment, they will achieve the undetectable state.
The NACP Deputy Programme Manager added that, as individuals living with HIV achieved viral suppression and continued to live healthy lives, the next generation would gradually become free of the virus. He noted that those who currently have the virus will live long, healthy lives, and when their natural time comes, they will pass on. But if new infections are prevented today, the generations that follow will not have the virus, describing this as the pathway to eventual epidemic control and elimination.
Dr. Ashinyo called for stronger collaboration across sectors, stressing that this goal could not be achieved by the health sector alone. He stated that stakeholders from district assemblies to traditional authorities and community groups have a critical role to play in creating supportive environments for treatment and prevention. He reaffirmed the NACP's commitment to working with partners under the OVP Project to ensure that vulnerable populations receive the support they need.
The GC7-supported initiative aims to strengthen HIV prevention, treatment, and care services for groups at higher risk, ensuring that Ghana remains on track toward achieving the global targets for HIV elimination.