GHANA – The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) has received a US$17 million grant from the international organization Global Fund to scale up prevention and treatment programs for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis across the country.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the body’s immune system leading to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome if not treated while tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease that spreads from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.

The US$17 million Global Fund health investment seeks to support the HIV and TB community which is composed of people who are living with HIV and TB and individuals whose lives are directly affected by the diseases.

The funding will support HIV and TB counselling and care information to pregnant and lactating women and children below age 18 as well as offer support to adolescents and the public.

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics through mobilizing and investing more than US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries.

The organization partners with governments, civil society, technical agencies, the private sector and affected communities to respond to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

The US$17 million grant donated to Ghana will contribute to the HIV and TB Community System Strengthening (CSS) initiative which will be implemented from now till the end of 2023.

The allocated funds which will be implemented by leaders of the HIV and TB community are also expected to help reduce stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV and Tuberculosis.

The major drivers of stigma against persons living with HIV or TB includes negative attitudes, fear, beliefs and the lack of awareness about their condition which results to bad healthcare or outright denial of care.

CHAG Senior Programs Manager Mr. Benjamin Cheabu revealed that the HIV and TB Community System Strengthening initiative aimed at reducing TB incidence by 25 per cent to 111 per 100,000 population by 2025.

Mr. Benjamin also hoped that the initiative will achieve HIV epidemic control by fast-tracking the 95-95-95 targets which aim to diagnose 95% of all HIV-positive individuals, provide antiretroviral therapy for 95% of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 95% of those treated by 2030.

Additionally, the HIV and TB Community System Strengthening initiative aims to reduce new HIV infects by 42 per cent by 2030.

“The initiative will contribute to a responsive and accountable health facility along with community HIV and TB service through community led monitoring and advocacy,” added Mr. Benjamin Cheabu.

The CSS will further address issues of stigma and discrimination at health care facilities against persons living with HIV by some healthcare workers together with issues of the provision of substandard care, physical and verbal abuse of HIV and TB patients by health workers.

Earlier, the Global Fund signed 157 grants in 2020 for a total of US$8.54 billion for lifesaving HIV, TB and malaria programs to strengthen systems for health to respond to HIV, TB, malaria and COVID-19.

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