The Ghana AIDS Commission has revealed that more than 22,000 children between the ages of 10 and 19 in Ghana contracted HIV/AIDs in 2021.
In addition, approximately 42,346 15- to 25-year-olds were infected with HIV in the same year, according to the Commission.
Dr. Fred Nana Poku, Director of Technical Services for the Commission, disclosed the alarming figures on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday. He stated that the number of mothers passing on the deadly disease to their children would be approximately 2,949 in 2021.
HIV is very serious among young people. The total population, according to the data, consisted of 42,346 individuals between the ages of 15 and 25. HIV affects over 22,000 children between the ages of 10 and 19. On the Citi Breakfast Show, he stated to Bernard Avle, “Over the period of 2021, we had approximately 2,949 mothers to children.”
He advised the general public to take HIV-preventative medications.
When engaging in sexual activity that is risky, take HIV-prevention medications. It follows the same principle as taking malaria-prevention medications,” Dr. Poku advised.
To stop the spread of the disease and teen pregnancies, Dr. Poku suggested that more contraceptives be readily available to young people.
Teen pregnancy rates are rising, according to the statistics. We will continue to proclaim your abstinence, but if you are unable to do so, please protect yourself.
There are a number of ways to protect yourself. You can use injectable contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, and other methods. They are excellent and efficient. Others, like HIV, are not protected by some of these. Therefore, in order to avoid contracting HIV and other STIs, you must use contraceptives, stated the Commission’s Director of Technical Services.
He stated that HIV-infected adolescents face numerous obstacles due to their inability to deal with HIV stigma.
Because of the stigma and discrimination associated with that condition, it is not easy for them. In addition, their friends’ knowledge of their HIV status in schools causes them to feel stigmatized and unwelcome. Therefore, they face numerous obstacles. Some of them their prescriptions should be rebranded, and put in various jugs so that individuals won’t be aware. He stated, “Some of them have to hide before taking their medications.”
He said that when parents don’t have the courage to tell their children about the infection, they sometimes need to talk to health professionals.
According to Dr. Poku, “sometimes we have to bring in health workers to break the news to these children because it is difficult for the parents to break the news to them.”
The youngsters were advised to avoid unprotected sex by Dr. Poku.
He advised, “HIV/AIDS is real, it persists, abstain from sex or use contraception.”
