She further directed that the ARTs nearing expiration should be given out in addition to those with long shelf life with adequate explanation by the pharmacists to the clients to use the old ones first.

Dr Biritwum-Nyarko gave the directive at a Regional stakeholders meeting on HIV Commodity Security and Strengthening in Koforidua, following an appeal by some members of the Model of Hope, that their clients were defaulting due to lack of adequate medications given to them at the ART sites and some facilities.

The Regional Director emphasized that one of the critical components of achieving the 90-90-90 target by 2020 was to ensure HIV commodity security, which includes adequate supplies of the ART to clients and cautioned that her outfit would not tolerate any facility which acted contrary to the set targets and goals as far as HIV and AIDS was concerned.

According to the Models of Hope, most of the Persons living with HIV receiving the ART, find it difficult to come at short intervals to get their supplies for lack of transportation and other logistics and therefore fail to take their routine medications, adding to the default rate in the region.

The meeting was organized by the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) with support from the US Ambassador’s Self-Help project to discuss HIV commodity security and innovative interventions in achieving the 90-90-90 target by 2020.

Dr S.B Ofori, HIV consultant and dermatologist, said until a cure for HIV is found, issues surrounding testing, prevention and treatment must continue to engage the attention of all stakeholders, especially the frontline health workers.

He said the commodities which includes packaging, storage and access to tools such as gloves, methylated spirit, testing kits and the ART drugs must always be available at all facilities and ART sites and called for stringent efforts in halting the defaulting rate.

Dr Ofori noted that commodities, especially the ARTs must always be available to avoid clients’ queueing up to be served their drugs, citing the Koforidua Regional hospital as an example, where such occurrence prevented clients from coming for their drugs for fear of stigmatisation.

Ms Golda Asante, a Director at the RCC and former Regional focal person of HIV and AIDS, said the target was that by 2030, HIV will no longer be a public health threat globally, hence the need to ensure that critical commodities to achieve the target took centre stage in all activities and planning.

She said, the region was on course to achieving the 90-90-90 target by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV will know their status, 90% of those who know their status will be receiving sustained antiretroviral suppression and called on all stakeholders to up their work and roles.