Inclusive Health for Africa

Projects

IHA is committed to, by 2025, reaching up to 100,000 vulnerable, at-risk, and hard-to-reach individuals within Ghana in terms of HIV education, counselling, testing, and follow-up through media and outreaches. The aims are to ensure that the pandemic is fought through education and testing. When people know their status, they can take steps to protect themselves and others. The organisation has taken up the fight against the HIV pandemic and seeks to play an important part in the 95-95-95 targets (95% of PLWH knowing their HIV status, 95% of people who know they are living with HIV being on ART, and 95% of people who are on ART being virally suppressed) to end AIDS by 2030. Some countries in Africa have already achieved this, but Ghana is yet to get there. Ghana AIDS Commission reports that as of 2022, 71.8% of PLWH know their status, 87.4% of them are on ART, and 68.1% of those on ART are virally suppressed. Since 2021, IHA has been involved in some activities as part of the broader outputs outlined above.

Outreaches to Senior High Schools

IHA conducts, and continues to conduct, outreaches in senior high schools, targeting young girls who are considered a vulnerable group. The activities have so far reached over 4300 individuals; with about 80% of the total number being female, while a total of 878 voluntary tests were conducted. There were 23 referrals made to hospital based on the counselling and confidential sessions. School nurses were given training on the counselling process and some of the ways to promptly detect and properly refer any possible cases that had to do with sexual and reproductive health. During these activities, educational materials were given out to the students and teachers in the form of pamphlets, leaflets, and posters that had infographics and concise information on STIs and HIV/AIDS.

Outreaches to Rural and Hard-to-Reach Communities

The northern part of Ghana is resource-deprived, and the rural parts are even worse off. Access to health information and services is limited, and since 2021, IHA has been focused on these communities. Some of these outreaches have been in collaboration with Curious Minds Ghana and UNICEF. We conduct general screening exercises in addition to the education, counselling, and voluntary testing for members of these communities, and approximately 5000 individuals have been reached with about 70% being female.

Outreaches to Security Personnel and Incarcerated Individuals

IHA has been involved in a series of activities that are aimed at providing education and testing services to prisoners as well as capacity building and ongoing support of prison staff. Prisoners and security personnel are considered at-risk groups in terms of HIV due to their activities and/or living conditions, and after the success of the Tamale Prison outreach in late 2023, IHA intends to extend the reach to all other prisons in Ghana by 2025.

Focus on Special At-Risk Groups

IHA strongly believes that the ambitious aim to end AIDS globally in less than a decade will not come to fruition if closer attention is not paid to particular groups known as key populations. Prevalence of HIV within these groups is generally higher than that of the general population, and the spread of the virus can reach the general population via the so-called bridge groups. We reach these individuals through strategies such as snowballing techniques and individualised, one-on-one outreaches. It is resource-intensive and time-consuming showing that more has to be done to cater for these groups.

World AIDS Day

IHA marks World AIDS Day by conducting special outreaches. We typically conduct general health education and screening as well as HIV counselling and testing services for some groups and establish lines of communication for any future follow ups.

Media Engagements

We recognize that the fight against HIV has to be on all fronts, and that our reach can be exponentially expanded with strategic use of the media. In this regard, IHA has an ongoing social media campaign via X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook that gives concise information on HIV statistics, prevention methods and treatment options through interactive infographics and simple language. The campaign is one strategy to make the conversations surrounding HIV easier to have and more visible, all in a bid to eradicate stigma and increase awareness and support. Furthermore, IHA engages in, and continues to engage in, appearances on radio, television, and streaming platforms to continue to create and expand awareness to the general public.