The President of the Ghana HIV/AIDS Network, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, has reiterated the importance of strictly adhering to HIV treatment.
According to him, following the prescribed treatment has numerous benefits, including reducing the viral load and minimizing the risk of transmission.
He emphasized that treatment protects both the patient and their partners, as well as the people they interact with.
Speaking to Stella Dziedzorm Sogli on the Health Focus show, he noted, “As part of our campaign, we have something we call U=U, which means undetectable equals untransmissible. What this means is that when someone starts treatment, stays on treatment, and takes their medication consistently without mixing it with other substances within a period of six months to a maximum of one year, they will achieve viral suppression.”
Ortsin further explained, “This means that at a certain point, the amount of virus in the person’s body becomes extremely low, and even the few remaining viruses are inactive. At that stage, the person cannot pass the virus to another person.”
“HIV treatment is recognized as a key public health strategy for preventing transmission,” he stressed.
He also added that the surest way to detect the virus is through testing. However, HIV can be transmitted through breast milk, semen, vaginal fluid, and blood.
Watch the full interview below
SSD/MA
