The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has showcased a suite of digital innovations designed to enhance HIV service delivery in the country, as part of the ongoing 2025 International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) currently underway at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The satellite symposium, organized as a side event of the continental conference, brought together public health experts, partners, and stakeholders to discuss how technology is improving patient care. The session featured a presentation by Philip Boakye, Laboratory Information Systems Specialist at NACP, and was co-chaired by Dr. Emmanuel Teviu, Acting Programme Manager of NACP.
In his presentation, Mr. Boakye outlined key interventions introduced by the programme to enhance efficiency, reduce delays, and improve the accuracy of HIV diagnostics and monitoring across the country, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Transformative Innovations Strengthening HIV Care
Point-of-Care Technologies: among the highlighted innovations was the expansion of GeneXpert point-of-care technologies to 143 remote and high-burden facilities to address delays in early infant diagnosis and viral load testing. This intervention significantly reduces turnaround times, enabling clinicians to initiate timely treatment for infants and monitor viral suppression more efficiently.
Offline e-Tracker Functionality: The lack of reliable internet connectivity in many rural communities previously contributed to missing patient records and difficulties in tracking individuals across facilities. The enhanced e-Tracker now allows health workers to capture patient data offline, which automatically syncs when internet access becomes available. This has improved continuity of care and strengthened data integrity nationwide.
Viral Load Data Management System: Before the system upgrade, viral load results from major testing hubs such as the Koforidua Regional Hospital could take weeks or even months to reach health facilities. The new digital system assigns unique specimen IDs and transmits results electronically through the e-Tracker on the same day testing is completed. Facilities can now provide timely clinical interventions and improve patient management.
Electronic Sample Barcoding: Manual entry of specimen IDs often resulted in transcription errors and sample rejection. With the introduction of electronic barcode labelling and scanning, facilities have recorded a significant reduction in such errors, ensuring greater accuracy and reliability in laboratory processes.
E-Learning Platform for Health Workers: To address staff turnover and the high cost of nationwide training, NACP has introduced an e-learning platform. This system allows health workers to upgrade their skills at their own pace and earn accreditation without the constraints of travel or classroom-based training. This ensures a consistent and scalable capacity-building approach across all regions.
Ensuring Sustainability
According to the NACP, steps are underway to build local technical capacity to ensure long-term sustainability and ownership of these innovations.
Future Innovations and Expansion
Looking ahead, the Ghana Health Service, through the NACP, plans to introduce telemedicine and remote care solutions. These will support virtual consultations for stable clients and facilitate home-based viral load monitoring. Remote expert support will also be provided for complex clinical cases, improving access to specialist care.
Furthermore, Ghana aims to expand these innovations regionally, sharing its experiences with other African countries to promote South-to-South collaboration and knowledge exchange.
ICASA, a biennial conference and one of Africa’s most influential HIV/AIDS platforms, continues to offer a space for countries like Ghana to showcase progress and inspire innovation in the global HIV response.