Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo is trained in Biomedical Science, Medicine and Surgery all from the University of Ghana Medical School, Korle-bu and Public Health from the University of Ghana, School of Public Health, Legon – Accra. He leads in the implementation of the comprehensive package of Treatment Care and Support for PLHIV (HTC, ART, PMTCT, OI and STI Management, etc.). Because of his training as a Public Health Physician, he has been involved in HIV/AIDS research and projects for several years in various capacities.
He has also been involved in clinical work including HIV/AIDS management, curricula development and capacity building, health education and HIV/AIDS Advocacy, research and proposal development, guidelines and protocol development, HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy and programme development project planning, M&E among others.
He presides over technical working groups responsible for the decentralized response to HIV in Ghana. Remarkably the Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Drug resistance and the Research Monitoring and Evaluation Oversight committee, Programmes committee and Key Populations Committee of the Ghana AIDS Committee. He is also a member of the National Tuberculosis Advisory Board and contributed to the developed and revision of the Joint HIV/TB Technical guidelines for Ghana. He rose through the ranks and served as a Deputy Programme Manager, acted as the Programme Manager upon the statutory retirement of his predecessor and then became the substantive Programme Manager of the Programme from 2015 till date.
The Program started as the National Technical Committee on AIDS and later became National Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS in 1985. The Council evolved into NACP in 1987. NACP has since then been the lead agency in the health sector response to HIV and AIDS.
The National AIDS/STI Control Program developed the HIV and AIDS Component of the Ministry of Health’s two Five-Year Ghana Health Sector Strategic Frameworks 2002-2006 and 2007-2012. The Programs current activities are in line with the National HIV Strategic Plan covering the period 2020-2025, the current Ghana Health Service Strategic Plan and Health Sector Strategic Framework.
Policy Goal
To reduce the incidence of HIV among the general population as well as reverse the rising trend.
Objectives
- To develop interventions to reduce HIV transmission.
- To provide care and support services for Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV).
- To provide timely information on HIV and AIDS for action.
- To provide essential technical support to all Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) in the implementation of their Programs.
Strategies
1st Objective: the following strategies are used:
- Expanding access to HIV Testing and Counselling services.
- Expanding access to Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission services.
- Syndromic management of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
- Condom education and promotion.
- Ensuring Safe Blood Transfusion.
- HIV Exposure Prevention in the Health Care setting and for rape survivors.
- Health Promotion and Demand Creation for all HIV services.
2nd Objective: the following strategies among others are used:
- Prevention and Management of Opportunistic Infections.
- Provision of Anti-retroviral therapy to population in need.
- Continuous Supportive Counselling to persons living with HIV (PLHIV).
- Provision of Home-Based Care to PLHIV.
- Working with PLHIV and their associations.
- Greater involvement of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA).
3rd Objective: the following strategies are used
- Conducting annual HIV Sentinel Surveillance.
- Developing information, education and communication leaflets.
- Conducting research to inform HIV management and the national response.
- Disseminating HIV information to all stakeholders.
- Issuing annual reports to MDAs.
- Conducting AIDS Case Surveillance.
- Conducting Behavioural Sentinel Surveillance.
- Issuing quarterly news bulletins for the consumption of stakeholders.
4th Objective: the following strategies are used
- Provision of technical support to Ghana AIDS Commission, and other stakeholders.
- Assisting MDAs to develop and deploy HIV workplace policy.
- Strengthening the institutional capacity of MDAs to provide HIV services
Programs