The Volta Regional Health Directorate, under the Ghana Health Service, has refuted claims circulating on social media about an alleged HIV/AIDS outbreak at Ho Technical University.
Initial reports, originating from a blog, alleged that more than 400 students had tested positive for the virus and were instructed to leave the university. The unverified report quickly spread among social media users who quoted and shared it without conducting proper fact-checking.
However, the Regional Health Directorate has categorically dismissed the publication as false and without foundation, urging the public to disregard the information.
Following a thorough examination of HIV testing data from healthcare facilities in the Ho Municipality and the wider Volta Region, the Volta Regional Health Directorate found no indication of a rise in reported HIV cases at any facility or across the entire region.
The health authority emphasized that there had been no notable increase in HIV cases at Ho Technical University or any other tertiary institution in the Volta Region.
Meanwhile, the management of the university has warned that it “shall institute legal action against any persons sharing the said false publication”.
HIV rate in the region
According to the 2020 HIV and AIDS estimates, approximately 20,949 individuals in the Volta Region are living with HIV.
Of these, around 64 percent are concentrated in the Ho, Hohoe, Ketu South, Ketu North, and Kpando municipalities, as well as the South Dayi District.
However, it is important to note that only 11,328 individuals, accounting for 55 percent of the estimated people living with HIV in the region, are currently receiving life-long antiretroviral treatment.
The Volta Regional Health Directorate is committed to providing accurate information regarding public health matters and urges the public to rely on official sources for credible and verified information.
