He said out of 981 pregnant women tested on their first antenatal visit between January and June this year, 28 were HIV positive and put on treatment.

The positive pregnant women delivered 30 babies.

Also, two HIV-positive babies born at home in 2023 were diagnosed in the first half of the year when they were sent to the hospital sick, adding that one had however died, while the other had been put on treatment.

Mr. Adator revealed this during the 2024 mid-year performance review of the Ada East Health Directorate in the Greater Accra Region.

He said a total of 1545 were counselled and tested for HIV in the district between January and June, out of which 103 tested positive, adding that 38 of the positive cases were people aged 15 to 34 years.

The district currently has 1087 persons on its anti-retroviral coverage.

He said the Directorate was lobbying for support for very needy mothers to enable them to attend antenatal clinics and be put on the prevention from mother-to-child transmission programme (PMTC).

He appealed to midwives in the area to consider engaging in door-to-door services to reach out to those who could not visit the hospitals due to financial constraints.

The Directorate had intensified its promotion of condom use among sexually active individuals, preaching chastity and abstinence among adolescents, Mr. Adator said.

It is also collaborating with stakeholders to create HIV/AIDS clubs in junior and secondary schools to augment efforts in reducing new infections, especially among the youth.

That is to ensure that the district achieves Ghana’s National Strategic Plan of reaching 95 percent in testing, treating at least 95 percent of those who test positive, and achieving viral suppression in 95 percent of positive cases put on treatment between 2021 and 2025.

He said the district was increasing its antiretroviral coverage target, adding that it also exceeded the 50 percent target of viral load testing for positive cases as it documented 58.97 percent for the period under consideration.

He stated that the district recorded 99.50 percent prevention from mother-to-child testing for the first half of 2024.

The HIV Coordinator said his outfit was able to put 69 percent of newly enrolled persons living with HIV (PLHIV) who were on anti-retroviral care onto the TB prevention therapy over the estimated 30 percent target.

He mentioned cultural, religious, socio-economic, and language barriers in reaching out and delivering effective service to the population in the district as the main challenges being faced.

He said the recent nationwide data showed that although the district was able to reduce its prevalence rate from 4.56 percent in 2021 to 2.28 percent in 2022, there had been a consistent decline in the Greater Accra regional prevalence from 2.25 percent in 2021 to 2.05 percent and 1.98 percent in 2022 and 2023, respectively.