Ghana AIDS Commossion collaborates with MoFA to mark World AIDS Day

The World AIDS Day (WAD) is celebrated each year on the 1st of December across the world to highlight the importance to unite in the fight against HIV, and to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

This year, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) is collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to mark the World AIDS Day on the same platform as National Farmers Day on 1st December 2017 at the Heroes Park near Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.

The theme for the 2017 National Farmers Day is “Farming for Food and Jobs.” On the other hand, the Global theme for this year’s World AIDS Day (WAD) is “The Right to Health” and Ghana has selected the sub-theme “The Right to Health: Know your HIV status; Seek early treatment.”

This collaboration is necessitated by the drive to ensure that no one is left behind in the global effort to end AIDS by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve this, the GAC is embarking on targeted interventions with tailored package of information and tools to reach every sector of society.

National Farmers Day presents a special opportunity to reach out to farmers and other agribusiness men with the knowledge and tools necessary to live an informed life. This initiative is in recognition of the central role of farmers in nation building, and their potential of missing out on traditional outreach activities due to the nature of their occupation.

The President of the Republic and Chairman of GAC is the key note speaker at the joint event.

At the event, the Country Director of UNAIDS, Ms. Angela Trenton-Mbonde, shall deliver the 2017 Global WAD speech on behalf of the UNAIDS Executive Director.

In collaboration with partners, the GAC shall mount an exhibition of assorted Information Education and Communication materials, freely distribute condoms and offer HIV testing services.

Additionally, numerous resource persons including the Heart-to-Heart Ambassadors, Support Groups and Models of Hope, Executives of NAP+ Ghana, and technical personnel from GAC and partners shall be available to offer free counselling and psychosocial support on all matters relating to HIV and AIDS.

This collaboration is expected to be replicated across the country in all the ten regions.

In the passionate pursuit of the global 90-90-90 Fast track targets, the GAC is determined to ensure that by 2020, at least 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status; 90 percent of persons living with HIV are enrolled onto treatment and sustained in care; and 90 percent of people on sustained HIV treatment attain viral suppression.

To achieve this goal and many others, the GAC is poised to leverage every opportunity to advance the cause of the national response to HIV and AIDS.