Wungu (NE/R), Aug 05, GNA – The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) in partnership with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has provided HIV prevention and control training for some newly recruited Ghana National Fire Service officers in the North East Region.
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The training formed part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 18, 2025, between GAC and YEA, led by Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, the Director-General of GAC and Mr Malik Basintale, the Chief Executive Officer of YEA, to provide HIV prevention and control training to the youth.
The MoU thus culminated in the first ever HIV training session for YEA newly recruited Ghana National Fire Service officers at the Wungu Fire Service Training School in the North East Region.
Mr Nuhu Musah, the Northern Regional Manager of the GAC, during the training, said it marked the beginning of a broader national effort to integrate HIV education into youth development and security service programmes.
The training brought together YEA recruits from the Savannah, North East, and Northern Regions numbering about 470 youth, who participated in the exercise and were equipped with knowledge on HIV prevention, treatment, care, and human rights.
Officers of the Fire Service also took part in the training and benefitted from the modules delivered.
Mr. Musah, who facilitated the training, took participants through essential topics such as basic facts about HIV and AIDS, modes of transmission, prevention strategies, treatment and care, human rights, HIV-related legislation, the importance of testing, and Ghana’s national HIV response framework.
He explained that while HIV remained a global public health concern, Ghana was making steady progress in reducing new infections.
Mr Musah said the youth remained a critical focus group due to their vulnerability as unprotected sex and injecting drug use continued to be major drivers of new infections, particularly among young people.
He cautioned participants against risky sexual behaviours and drug abuse encouraging the use of condoms, mutual fidelity among partners, and early treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
He further advised that every young person should test for HIV regularly, at least once every three months.
Participants were introduced to advances in HIV prevention including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and long-acting injectable medications, that could reduce the risk of infection.
Mr Musah educated participants on the U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) concept.
He emphasised that a person living with HIV, who maintained an undetectable viral load through consistent treatment, could not transmit the virus to others.
Although there was no known cure for HIV yet, treatment was available, effective, and accessible in every district hospital and major health facilities in the country, Mr Musah said.
He touched on legal protections under the GAC Act 938, which prohibited discrimination based on HIV status in employment, education, and access to services.
He emphasised that mandatory HIV testing as a condition for employment or promotion was illegal, adding that anyone who discriminated against a person living with HIV, could be prosecuted and might face fines or imprisonment.
Speaking on behalf of the Training School Commandant, Assistant Divisional Officer Grade 1 (ADO I) Mr Charles Adumuah lauded the collaboration and described the programme as timely and impactful.
He said it was a commendable initiative worthy of replication in all security and service training institutions.
