HIV Self-testing Detects Over 100 Positive Cases

The Manager of the National Aids Control Programme (NACP), Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, has revealed that more than 100 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases have been detected through the self-testing process.

The revelation comes four months after the non-medical workers testing system was launched in the country.

“We have picked not less than a hundred positive cases who would have been missed if the self-test kits were not available,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Some of the patients, he noted, have been put on antiretroviral drugs whereas others have resisted medication.

He also reported that the self-testing kits have received high subscriptions from the populace.

“As we speak, patronage has been massive and we have more than a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand people subscribing to the test and quite a number of people are positive out of the self-test”.

HIV Self-testing kits were launched on July 19, 2023, in Accra paving the way for the mass distribution of test kits across the country.

The self-testing enables non-medical workers to test themselves for HIV in the comfort of their confidential spaces, without the presence and direct supervision of any health worker and get their results within the space of 10 minutes.

The test is done either using their blood sample or saliva.

The rollout of this system is aimed at affording the 29% of persons living in the country with the disease unknowingly to get tested for the requisite medical treatment.