A Journey of Resilience and Hope
On an ordinary morning, Maame Esi, an HIV mentor mother, stands among other mothers at the antenatal clinic of the Tema General Hospital. Her gaze scans the room not with judgment but with the wisdom of someone who has walked this path before. Twenty-one years ago, she sat in the same space, pregnant and scared, preparing to receive a diagnosis that would change her life forever. She tested positive for HIV, and what followed was not tragedy but transformation.
Today, she is one of Ghana’s unsung heroes, a living proof that HIV is no longer a death sentence but a virus that can be silenced by a single pill a day—antiretroviral drugs. These medications help patients reach undetectable and untransmissible levels, offering hope and a chance at a normal life.
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Understanding the HIV Landscape in Ghana
Ghana, like many African nations, is working tirelessly to meet the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets by 2025. The goal is to ensure that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of those on ART achieve viral suppression.
According to the National and Sub National HIV and AIDS Estimates and Projections for 2024, only 68% of Ghanaians living with HIV know their status. Of these, 69% are receiving ART, and 90% of them have achieved viral suppression. While the figure on viral suppression is promising, there is still much work to be done.
The Power of Antiretroviral Therapy
The impact of ART cannot be overstated. In 2024 alone, it prevented 12,358 deaths, which equates to an average of 229 lives saved every week. Madam Irene Boateng, Head of Pharmacy at the Tema Manhean Polyclinic, emphasizes the scientific power of antiretrovirals in the lives of HIV patients.
She explains that when the viral load level is undetectable, individuals cannot transmit the virus. “Our aim is to get everyone on treatment to that level,” she says. Today’s medications are highly potent, and when taken consistently, they offer powerful protection not only for the patient but also for their partners and unborn children.
Patients on ART are tested every six months to track viral suppression, and the outcomes are clear. “All babies born to HIV-positive mothers in our clinic tested negative as long as the mothers stick to their medication,” she adds. This highlights the effectiveness of these drugs and underscores the importance of encouraging pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics for HIV testing and timely treatment.
Faith, ART, and Personal Testimonies
The testimonies of Maame Esi and Nii Nai bring the power of ART to life. In 2004, Maame Esi voluntarily tested HIV during her first pregnancy, long before mandatory Preventive Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) protocols. When the test returned positive, she immediately began treatment. Her baby was born HIV-negative, thanks to early intervention.
Despite facing challenges, including community gossip and the loss of her husband, Maame Esi rebuilt her life. She remarried an HIV-positive man and went on to have four more HIV-negative children because both parents took their ART seriously. Today, she works as a mentor mother, guiding HIV-positive pregnant women toward a healthy, stigma-free life.
“I would have regretted it for life if I didn’t take my medications,” she says. “Can you imagine my children Googling for information on HIV one day and finding out I had access to medicine but refused to take it? They would never forgive me.”
Nii Nai, a “Model of Hope” who has lived with HIV for 22 years, also testifies to the transformative power of ART. “I’ve never been sick a day since I started the ART,” he says. “My life is the ARTs. I know people, including pastors, chiefs, and other professionals, who are positive and healthy. You’d never know.”
Confronting Stigma and Embracing Change
Maame Esi speaks openly about the importance of shedding shame. “I’ve grown beyond stigma. I take my medication in a trotro. I don’t even hide the label,” she says. Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to adherence, but both mentors emphasize that testing and treatment are not only lifesaving but also liberating.
“Testing is the only way to know. And knowing is the only way to live,” Maame Esi adds.
Looking Ahead
Ghana’s HIV story is one of staggering statistics, determined survival, and a medication that is quietly transforming lives, homes, and communities. As of 2024, a total of 334,721 people are living with the virus in Ghana, including over 18,000 children. Women bear the heaviest burden, accounting for more than 67% of infections.
The path forward lies in voluntary testing, early treatment intervention, and suppressing the virus through ARTs. With continued advocacy, education, and the courage of champions like Maame Esi and Nii Nai, Ghana can move beyond infection toward triumph—one pill, one person, one undetectable viral load at a time, reducing the spread of the virus.
