USAID Strengthening the Care Continuum Project Expands into Ghana’s Ahafo Region

On October 20, 2021, our USAID Strengthening the Care Continuum project in Ghana held an inception meeting to extend the project’s HIV prevention, care, and treatment work into the country’s Ahafo region. Ms. Zohra Balsara, director of USAID/Ghana’s Health Population and Nutrition Office, joined Ahafo Regional Director of Health Dr. Kwabena Boakye Boateng, and other U.S. and Ghana government officials at the meeting held in Goaso, Ahafo. The Care Continuum project already provides critical support to strengthen HIV services in other parts of the country.

USAID recognized the need to extend support to Ahafo to improve HIV testing and treatment and to strengthen the care continuum for people living with HIV. As of August 2021, more than 8,000 people are living with HIV in the Ahafo Region, but only about half know their status and are on treatment. Key challenges facing the region and which the project will address include low viral load coverage, low early infant diagnosis testing coverage, and health providers in need of training in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) management.

The Care Continuum works with the Government of Ghana to implement innovative strategies including index testing, contact tracing and testing, targeted outreach testing services, and use of case managers to identify, link and support clients to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The project is also championing ART adherence, generating demand to know one’s viral load, and creating reminder systems for people living with HIV. Learn more about the project.