Ghana's Country Program Manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Ghana, Dr Ekua Houphouet, has sounded a warning that the country's ambition to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030 could face a major setback if stigma continues to discourage people from getting tested, accessing treatment and remaining in care.
Ghana's HIV progress is at risk due to stigma, which can affect people living with HIV in ways that go beyond their health. It can influence whether a person tests, seeks treatment, discloses their status, or continues with care.
Breaking the Chain of Stigma
Stigma can disrupt the chain at any point, weakening the broader national response. The importance of reducing stigma becomes clearer when viewed against the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. The targets seek to ensure that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those who know their status are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
The first target depends on testing. If stigma discourages people from testing, the country may struggle to identify people living with HIV who need care. The second target depends on people who know their status being willing and able to access treatment. Again, stigma can become a barrier.
The final target is viral suppression. When people consistently take their medication and achieve viral suppression, the amount of HIV in their blood becomes very low. But if stigma causes people to avoid treatment or disengage from care, achieving viral suppression becomes more difficult.
The Role of Society
The fight against HIV cannot be left to the Ghana AIDS Commission, health workers, and other stakeholders alone. The general public also has a role to play, beginning with how society treats people living with HIV. A person's HIV status should not become a reason to mock, isolate, blame, or discriminate against them.
Stigma may not always come in the form of obvious discrimination. It can be a reaction, a look, a comment, or a change in how someone is treated after their status becomes known. But even seemingly small actions can have serious consequences.
The Path Forward
Ghana's response to HIV must include a stronger focus on changing public attitudes. People need accurate information about HIV and how it is transmitted. Myths and misconceptions must be challenged, while conversations about HIV should be based on facts rather than fear.
The media also has an important role. How HIV is discussed in the media can either reinforce existing stereotypes or help break them down. Reporting should avoid language that blames or shames people living with HIV and should instead promote understanding and accurate information.
Most importantly, people living with HIV must be allowed to live their lives without being viewed through a judgmental lens. The goal is not simply to get people tested. It is to create an environment where people feel safe enough to test, seek treatment, remain in care, and achieve viral suppression.
Ghana's ambition to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030 will require the collective effort of government, health institutions, the media, civil society, and the public. But that effort will be much harder if stigma continues to push people away from the very services designed to protect them. Ending HIV therefore also means ending the stigma surrounding it.
Source: Joy Online
