Ghana

HIV/AIDS in Ghana

• 1.8% Estimated Prevalence
  (Age 15–49)
• 18,000 Estimated Deaths (2009)
• 160,000 Estimated Orphans
• 30,265 Reported Number of People Receiving ART (2009)
• 130,000 Estimated Number of People Needing ART
  
  

  SOURCE:
  UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, November 2010

HIV/AIDS Assets and Strategic Focus

Strategic Focus
The CDC Ghana office opened in 2008 with a focus on the scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programming, and has established close working relationships with the Ghana AIDS Commission, Ghana Health Service (GHS), the policy making body and implementing body of the government of Ghana, as well as with other implementing partners.

Strengthening Laboratory Systems and Networks
CDC is working directly with Ghana’s Ministry of Health (MoH) to build capacity and strengthen lab systems necessary to support the scale-up of HIV services in the country. CDC’s support includes assistance with development of national laboratory strategic plan, laboratory policy and procedures, laboratory information systems and quality management system critical to the accreditation of public sector laboratories and long-term sustainability of programs.

Building Surveillance & Health Information Systems
CDC is supporting Ghana to establish in-country capacity and infrastructure to implement and evaluate HIV/AIDS-related surveillance systems and improve broader national health information systems to collect, store, analyze, and use high-quality data essential to improving services and programs. CDC led recent efforts in conducting the first large scale survey to assess behavioral risk factors among men who have sex with (MSM).

Capacity Building
In partnership with the Ghana AIDS Commission and the School of Public Health (SPH), CDC developed a curriculum to fit Ghana’s workforce development needs and provides training to ‘HIV Focal Persons’ to build the country’s capacity in monitoring and evaluation (M&E). CDC supports GAC through cooperative agreement to build M&E capacity at the community level and has supported Ghana in building capacity of the National Blood Transfusion Services through provision of equipment and vehicles that will make blood supply safer.