Shortage of ARV, test kits hold back HIV treatment and testing (D/G Tuesday Feb 26,2013)

Story : Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Stakeholders in the Upper East Region have urged the government to notch up efforts at ensuring consistent, secure and affordable supply of medical commodities to boost HIV testing and treatment. The call came in the wake of a remark by Mr Samuel Angyogdem, Upper East Regional HIV and AIDS Focal Person, that recent shortage of HIV testing kits, ARV and other logistics was hindering efforts at redoubling HIV prevention and treatment in the region. Mr Angyogdem who was speaking at a Regional Dissemination of the Revised National HIV and AIDS, STI Policy in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region said as a result of the shortage, the region is concentrating its efforts on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, hence persons who walk into facilities are know their status are sometimes unable to access the service. Accessing HIV testing as soon as possible enables people living with HIV to start antiretroviral treatment early, enabling them to live long healthy lives, and importantly to reduce the risk of them transmitting the virus to other people. The current stock of test kits available according is provided by the Global Fund which dictates that it must be used for pregnant women and key population, hence if the general public want to know their status, then it behaves government to provide the logistics needed for the national response to HIV. Responding to the issue, Dr Joseph Amuzu, Director, Policy & Planning, Ghana AIDS Commission(GAC), said the commission is working around the clock to some test kits for civil society organizations and other agencies for use. He however reiterated the need for Government of Ghana to fulfill it's commitment of the GH c 150m to support the national HIV response until 2015, adding that the release of funds must be predictable and timely be it quarterly or half yearly. He said other Ministries, Departments and Agencies should also budget for HIV in their regular budgets, while the 0.5 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund(DACF) allocated for the district HIV response should be increased to 1 per cent and made mandatory and deductible from source. He disclosed that the GAC is developing a Resource Mobilization Strategy(RMS) where it is hoped that the strategy if accepted and implemented will identify numerous sources of funding for HIV such as from the private sector, contributions from the lottery, contribution from philanthropists, faith-based organizations and from the general public. "The RMS will suggest tax on airline tickets, contributions from telcos through a small tax on all calls and sms etc." He said adding that another potential source of resources will be from the accumulation of the pennies(pesewas) on top of worker salaries which will be paid into a special fund for HIV. He however emphasized that very important though will be for the government to apply for a grant from the World Bank, Africa Development Bank or any other financial institutions, be it locally of at the international level to co-fund HIV. "Eventually, all these resources should be used to establish an HIV Fund which should be managed independently from Government to support HIV." He said Dr Amuzu added that Ghana needs to support and facilitate local production of ARVs through partnerships between the public and private sector via massive investment on the part of government through soft loans to these Pharmaceutical companies or a public private partnerships. The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Angela El-Adas in a speech read on her behalf said the National HIV & AIDS, STI Policy is a document that provides the enabling environment to support the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP 2011-2015) to achieve its expected outcomes and outputs. She said the importance of the National HIV&AIDS, STI Policy is that it provides guidance to other HIV-related policies, interventions, and programme design and implementation in Ghana. " If implemented effectively, the policy will help to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS, STI-related morbidity and mortality in the country in the interest of public health, safety, and human security." She noted. Dr Fred Nana Poku, Technical Manager, (GAC), said the objective of the new policy was to halt and reverse the incidence of new infections with an ultimate aim to achieve zero new infections, eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and reduce HIV associated morbidity and mortality to ensure the continued survival of men, women and children who were infected with the virus among others. -end- Writer's email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh