Ghana has launched an HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) program, which enables people to be tested for the disease without the presence and direct supervision of any health worker.
The test is performed using either a blood or saliva sample and shows results in as little as 10 minutes.
In case of a reactive result, the diagnosed must confirm the result at special medical institutions.
According to the Ghana Aids Commission, which set HIVST in motion, the program is an additional innovative solution to address the gaps in HIV testing and encourage more people to know their status.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said that the availability of HIVST kits is a significant step forward in the country’s quest to create a healthier nation, adding that by removing barriers to access, citizens were being "empowered with knowledge on the need to protect themselves, their loved ones and the wider community."
As the country's health authorities pointed out, HIV poses a major concern for the West African nation.
According to the Director General of the commission, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, five years ago the number of people infected with HIV every day was 62, and three years ago 52, which is "a very slow pace of the decline."
"Our target is to have a 17% reduction in new infections every year but we were only able to achieve 10% between 2021 and 2022, and so that means we have more than 7% gap. We really have to address the gap," Atuahene told local media, adding that self-testing will aid in this task.
For the 2021 through 2023 grant cycle, state support for the National AIDS Program totaled about $30.2 million, the health minister said.