HIV/AIDS And Its Impact On The Ghanaian Society

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day is important and as this year's AIDS Day draws closer, it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

When the first person was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Ghana in 1986, it was seen as a health problem. This notion has since changed into a development issue pregnant with grave consequences. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 50, 000 Ghanaians have died from AIDS.. The disease spread fast and by the end of 2003, a cumulative total of 76,139 cases had been recorded and about 395,000 had been infected with HIV (Ghana AIDS Commission, 2004).

The figures do not give the true state of affairs in view of the fact that the majority of Ghanaians, especially those in rural areas where 60 percent of the population live, rely on traditional health practitioners whenever they fall ill. These practitioners do not keep records. It is therefore impossible to know how many people with HIV/AIDS have reported at these places.

Many Ghanaians also do not know their HIV status since modern facilities are not used to diagnose diseases at health facilities run by the traditional practitioners. In view of the stigmatization associated with the disease in the country, patronage of voluntary testing is rather low. As a result, many people are not aware of their status and have continued to be sexually active, and unknowingly infecting others. This tends to have a long impact on the health sector, Households, Children, Work places etc.

This epidemic has an extraordinary burden on already troubled health sector. As the epidemic matures, the demand for care for those living with HIV rises. To save space, people aren't being admitted until they are in the later stages of illness, reducing their chances of recovery .There has been an increased shortage of healthcare professionals due to infection and death, as well as excessive workloads, poor salary, and the temptation to migrate to richer countries once trained.

HIV positive patients stay in the hospital four times longer than other patients and it's predicted that patients by HIV and AIDS will soon account for 50-60% of hospital expenditure. Although the recent increase in the provision of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs, which significantly delay the progression from HIV to AIDS) has brought hope to many, it has also put increased strain on healthcare workers because providing ARVs requires more time and training.

Often the poorest provinces of society are most vulnerable to the epidemic and for whom the consequences are most severe. In many cases, households dissolve because of AIDS, because parents die and children are sent to relatives for care and upbringing. Data suggests that households in which an adult had died from AIDS were four times more likely to disband than those in which no deaths had occurred. A dramatic increase in destitute households, those with no income earners, is also expected.

Children may be forced to abandon their education and in some cases women may be forced to turn to prostitution which can in turn lead to a higher risk of HIV transmission. Already poor households coping with members who are sick from HIV or AIDS are forced to reduce spending on necessities like clothing, electricity and even food. The death of males appears to reduce the production of cash crops while the death of females reduces the production of grain and other crops necessary for household survival.

Loss of income, additional care-related expenses, the reduced ability of caregivers to work, and mounting medical fees push affected households deeper into poverty. It is estimated that, on average, HIV-related care can absorb one-third of a household's monthly income. Tapping into available savings and taking on more debt are usually the first options chosen by households struggling to pay for medical treatment or funerals. As debts mount, precious assets such as livestock and even land are sold and as debt increases, the chance to recover and rebuild diminishes.

As parents and family members fall ill, children take on more responsibility to earn an income, produce food and provide care for family members. When the parents die, it becomes harder for these children to access adequate nutrition, basic health care, housing, and clothing. One of the more unfortunate responses to a death in poorer households is removing the children (especially girls) from school, as uniforms and fees become unaffordable.

The vast majority of people living with HIV in Ghana are between the ages of 15 and 49 - in the prime of their working lives. As a result, labor is dramatically affected, creating a set-back in economic and social progress. Company costs for health-care, funeral benefits and pension fund commitments are likely to rise as the number of people taking early retirement, or dying, increases. As the impact of the epidemic on individual households grows severe, market demand for products and services consequently fall. The epidemic hits productivity through increased absenteeism,

HIV and AIDS cause a reduced labor supply through increased mortality and illness. Amongst those who are able to work, productivity is likely to decline as a result of HIV-related illness. Government income also declines, as tax revenues fall and governments are pressured to increase their spending to deal with the expanding epidemic.

Today, many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. But despite this, people do not know the impact of AIDS, facts about how to protect themselves and others from HIV, stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with HIV.

A good basic education ranks among the most effective and cost-effective means of preventing HIV.

Let us join hands and combat against HIV/AIDS.

Joseph William Anyan.