Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bimbilla, the Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) for the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions, has revealed a troubling statistic: the regions recorded a staggering 884 new HIV infections in 2022. This announcement, made in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, sheds light on the growing HIV and AIDS crisis in this area. Additionally, as of December 2022, a total of 19,281 individuals were living with HIV and AIDS in the region, with a prevalence rate of 2.27 percent in the Bono region alone.
The GAC official shared that a group of approximately 70 young people had recently organized an HIV and AIDS awareness walk in Sunyani to draw attention to the disease. This event, spearheaded by the Bono Regional branch of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), aimed to engage the public in discussions about the reality of HIV and AIDS. The participants, predominantly young individuals, displayed placards with messages such as "your health is our concern, but the choice is yours" and "your self-testing is here."
Mr. Bimbilla expressed deep concern over the escalation of new HIV cases in the region and highlighted that, in the past three years, the area consistently ranked highest in HIV and AIDS cases nationwide. He underscored the need for collaborative efforts to reduce the region's HIV prevalence rate, which currently exceeds the country's average prevalence of 1.7 percent. Emphasizing the importance of public education, he suggested that through the use of condoms and lubricants, abstinence, voluntary testing and counseling, and other preventive measures, the spread of HIV and AIDS could be curbed.
Adding to the conversation, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Bono Regional Chairman of GHANET, stressed that sexually active young people in the region face a heightened risk due to their limited knowledge about the disease. GHANET, as a civil society organization dedicated to combatting the spread of HIV and AIDS in Ghana, aims to educate and sensitize the youth about the importance of safeguarding themselves and refraining from engaging in risky sexual practices. Mr. Ahenu issued a caution to young girls, advising them to be wary of individuals attempting to entice them with gifts, as this could expose them to the virus and other sexually transmitted infections. He emphasized that sexual activity should be reserved for marriage and urged young people to prioritize their studies and steer clear of negative peer influences.
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