| The fear of the unknown can cripple us. Fear can make time freeze; everything seems to be in “slow motion”, you are totally oblivious of your surroundings. Then the long wait for test results, the long walk to face a death sentence? Fast forward to today 20 years later and things have changed so much. Two decades ago while working in the Emergency Room at a major Hospital, I was unfortunate enough to be pricked by a needle while we performed a procedure on a little boy who passed on soon after. The child had multiple complications and we quickly took a blood sample to screen for HIV. That evening a large delegation from the department I was working in visited me in my apartment. It was a touching scene. That was when the gravity of what had happened earlier in the day really hit me. I was started on post-exposure prophylaxis against HIV. It took days for the results of the blood test to be ready and then I had to walk with legs of concrete to the laboratory to pick up the results and read it myself. I was not formally counseled at the time. The tests were repeated a few months later to be double sure. Imagine the relief. Science has done so much in the past few years that it is a total disservice if we do not know our HIV status. You do not have to progress from HIV to full blown AIDS with all the help available. It is great to know your status, either way you are better off. If positive you can seek appropriate help and if negative you lead an appropriate life to avoid it. December 1st is marked globally as WORLD AIDS DAY and extra effort is taken around the world to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS. Many people use the opportunity to check their HIV status but you can check your status at any time and I urge you to do that. Key facts on HIV/AIDS 1. HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 35 million lives so far. 2. In 2017, 940,000 people died from HIV-related causes globally. 3. There were approximately 36.9 million people living with HIV at the end of 2017 with 1.8 million people becoming newly-infected in 2017 globally. 4. Africa is the most affected region, with 25.7 million people living with HIV in 2017. 5. African also accounts for over two thirds of the global total of new HIV infections. 6. Key populations often have legal and social issues related to their behaviour that increase vulnerability to HIV and reduce access to testing and treatment programmes. 7. Between 2000 and 2017, new HIV infections fell by 36 per cent, and HIV-related deaths fell by 38 per cent with 11.4 million lives saved due to ART in the same period. Ghana’s Estimates in 2017 1. Number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) – 313,063 and 65% of these are females 2. Estimated number of New HIV infections – 19,101 3. Estimated number of AIDS-Related Deaths – 15,694 4. Greater Accra with its large population has the highest number of people living with HIV but the Eastern Region has the highest prevalence (2.3%) followed by the Western Region and Greater Accra Region is in third place (2.1%) It is worth refreshing our memory with some facts. These do not spread HIV 1. Hugging an infected person 2. Cough or Sneeze of an infected person 3. From tears, sweat, vomit or urine 4. Sharing a toilet seat or water fountain 5. Drinking from same glass or eating from same plate 6. Eating food prepared by someone with HIV 7. Mosquito or other insect bite 8. In general kissing may only spread if both person with HIV and the one without have bleeding gums and or cuts in the mouth* Known paths to HIV 1. Unprotected vaginal and anal sex. Oral sex is possible but not as common as the previous 2. 2. Sharing of needles 3. Tattooing and piercing may also have a level of risk though not common 4. When you touch an open wound of someone with HIV and you have a cut yourself 5. From mother to baby during child birth (when appropriate precautions not taken) or through breast milk 6. Blood transfusion is an extremely rare path with current screening methods of donated blood* It is also worth knowing that the use of alcohol and other “recreational” drugs may impair ones judgement and increase ones risk of contracting HIV through unprotected sex. Having a sexually transmitted infection such as gonorrhoea can increase ones risk of contracting HIV and finally our genes may play a role once more to increase our risk; some people may have fewer copies of a gene that helps to fight HIV. AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI) Source: Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel (Health Essentials Ltd/St Andrews Clinic) *Dr. Kojo Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. Thought for the week – “”HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it” -Princess Diana.” Reference; 1. www.indiatoday.in 2. Ghana’s HIV FACT SHEET, 2017 3. https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/how-catch-hiv#1 4. https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/hiv-risk-factors-are-you-risking-your-life |
