The story first reported by a blog claimed that over 400 students have tested positive and have been asked to go home. Various social media actors shared and quoted the unverified report without conducting proper due diligence.
But the Regional Health Directorate has unequivocally declared the publication to be false and unfounded, urging the public to disregard it.
According to the Volta Regional Health Directorate, a comprehensive review of HIV testing data from health facilities in the Ho Municipality and the entire Volta Region revealed no increase in recorded HIV cases within any facility or the region as a whole.
They emphasized that there had been no surge of HIV cases at Ho Technical University or any other tertiary institution in the Volta Region.
The attention of the Volta Regional Health Directorate has been drawn to an online publication by an unverified and unknown news portal ‘ajnewonline.com’ with the headline “Hookup Trend Leads to HIV Outbreak at Ho Technical University: Over 400 students suspected positive”.
The publication has subsequently been quoted by various social media actors without any form of due diligence.
The Regional Health Directorate by this release is informing the public to disregard the said
publication since it is false and unfounded.
A review of the HIV testing data in all the health facilities in the Ho Municipality and the rest of the Volta Region does not suggest an increase in recorded HIV cases within any facility or the Region as a whole. For the avoidance of doubt, the region states emphatically that there has not been a surge of HIV cases in the Ho Technical University or any other tertiary institution in the Volta Region.
The Volta Regional Health Directorate and its partners have over the period successfully implemented several strategies to fight HIV/AIDS. These strategies seek to reduce new infections by 85% and eliminate mother-to-child transmission.
The Region however encourages its inhabitants to avoid stigmatization and fully lend themselves to the disease awareness campaigns and tailor-made services that meet their specific needs so as to consolidate the gains made in HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. HIV services are available in all private and public health facilities in the Volta Region.
The public is assured that their right to privacy and confidentiality will always be upheld as is the case in all disease conditions.
In conclusion, let us take note that HIV is still real, and all must endeavor to live positively
through sexual abstinence or by both uninfected partners being faithful to each other, and by the consistent use of condoms.
By Rachael Shieley
