I want an HIV-free Eastern Region by 2030 – Reg. Min. designate

Regional Minister designate for the Eastern Region, Mavis Ama Frimpong, has told the Appointments Committee Parliament that one of her priorities for the region, when her nomination is approved by the August House, is to ensure an HIV-free society.

She told the Committee when she took her turn for vetting on Thursday that although the rate of HIV prevalence in the region has reduced drastically over the years, there is still room for improvement.

“Eastern region has been leading in the adult prevalence for a very long time and as you know in 2006, our region had a prevalence rate of 7.9% which was scary and so efforts have been made to address that”.

“Mr. Chairman, HIV prevalence in the Eastern Region has reduced from 7.9 to 3.7% which is good. And so, Eastern Region is no longer in epidemic state”, she noted.

She told the panel that when given the nod, she would implement a strategy dubbed “90-90-90” to ensure that her vision of an HIV-free society is achieved.

“Mr. Chairman, 90 in the sense that by the end of the year 2030, we want to have every member of Eastern Region population at least 90% testing for HIV/AIDS and then by the end of 2030, the second 90, we want anybody who tests HIV positive in our region to have access to medication – thus anti-retroviral therapy. Then the last 90, by the end of 2030, we want to see that those on treatments when you test them you wouldn’t find the virus in their system”.

That aside she said she would pursue an educational advocacy of reduction of HIV/AIDS program where queen mothers in the region would be put at the forefront to ensure that the people are well educated about the menace of the disease.