"And this is the more reason why we need to revive awareness on the condition, get more people tested and initiated on treatment to attain viral suppression aimed at ending AIDS by 2030", she added.

Ms. Kwame said this at the opening of a two-day Workshop for Journalists within the Western Region on the condition and the need to increase sensitisation to achieve the 90-90-90 targets, a key indicator for eliminating HIV and AIDS by 2030 as stated by the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Workshop was facilitated by the Africa Centre for Development Reporting, a media Advocacy group.

The 90-90-90 targets talks about ninety percent of people checking to know their status, ninety percent put on treatment and ninety percent having their viral load suppressed to avert the progression to AIDS.

The media Specialist entreated the Media to ensure accurate reporting on HIV and AIDS, remind the citizenry of the existence of the condition and the need to engage in safe reproductive activities to avoid the spread of the conditions as well as regular checks on status.

She said reaching epidemic control was critical to stop this public health threat, which has huge effects on socio-economic wellbeing of every state, "inter-agency team and collaboration is critical in reaching epidemic control".

The Specialist said the Focus of PEPFAR had been shifted fully to the Western Region following rising statistics in sexual reproductive activities among the married, unmarried, female sex workers, men sleeping with men and the general population.

Dr. Samuel Aidoo, the Regional HIV Coordinator said there was rising figures of men sleeping with men in the Region and called for a more coordinated approach in managing the condition to avoid escalation in the near future.

Currently, the Takoradi Metropolis recoded 3.8 prevalence, a higher figure even against the national prevalence of 2.5.

Per the prevalence, three to four persons out of ten are exposed or have the virus.

Dr. Aidoo said the increasing prevalence within Takoradi alone was a cause for action to nib the condition in the bud.

He mentioned poor testing, inadequate counsellors, wrong addresses, increasing key population in the Region among others as some of the challenges that could derail the efforts at ending AIDs by 2030.

Mr. Philip Baidoo, Regional Director of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in a message urged the media to set the right agenda to get the right response especially on governmental commitments on counterpart funding to control the condition.

Ms. Golda Asante, a Consultant said ending AIDS as a public health threat could be achieved through knowing ones status, adherence to medications and consistency.

Ms. Asante noted that complacency was gradually affecting progress resulting in higher infection rate adding, "We are sitting on a Time bomb and there must be the greater will power to end this public health threat."