70,000 requests made for HIV self-testing kits barely a month after launch

Barely a month after the launch of HIV self-testing kits in Accra, the initiative has seen over 70,000 patronages.

The self-testing kit which was launched on July 21, 2023, had over 33, 000 community requests at the time of launch and has proceeded to over 70,000.

This was disclosed by the Programme Manager of the National Aids Control Programme, Dr. Ayisi Addo.

Dr. Ayisi Addo further added that there have been over 11,000 requests online and distributions of the HIV test kits are ongoing across the country.

However, during an interview with GNA, Dr. Ayisi Addo conveyed his worry about how new infections are recorded despite the many measures put in place to cap the number of HIV/AIDS infections.

“We have been doing all these things and yet in 2022, by the end of that year, 354,000 people were estimated to have HIV, while still picking a little over 16,000 new infections,” he said.

The doctor on this note appealed to Ghanaians to accept and embrace the HIV self-testing kit to curb the frightening numbers.

“I am appealing to Ghanaians to embrace this new game changer. We have come very far from a state where one will have to go to a laboratory, which takes like two to three weeks to produce the results to now self-testing in the privacy and comfort of the individual,” he added.

source: Ghana Web