50 People Infected with HIV Every Day- AIDS Commission

The Ghana AIDS Commission has revealed that an estimated 50 people are infected with HIV daily, with the majority of new infections occurring among individuals between the ages of 15 and 49, the economically active population. According to the commission’s latest data, a total of 334,095 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the country, with 17,550 being children below the age of 15.

The statistics, released during a media engagement and stakeholders’ meeting, showed that there were 17,774 new HIV infections recorded in the country, with 1,698 being children below 15 years and 16,076 representing adults above 15 years. While progress has been made in implementing HIV interventions, the commission emphasized that more needs to be done to achieve the set goals and targets.

Regional and district-level data revealed varying prevalence and new infections, with Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions having the highest number of persons living with HIV. The districts with the highest HIV population include Accra Metropolitan Area, Kumasi Metropolitan Area, and Ledzokuku Municipality.

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The commission identified challenges such as data capture, validation, and quality issues that need to be addressed expeditiously. In response to a question about the continued occurrence of mother-to-child transmission, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission attributed it to gaps in the healthcare system and emphasized the need for collective efforts to address the issue.

Stakeholders were urged to work together to achieve the 95-95 targets by the end of 2025 and 98-98 by the end of 2030. The commission acknowledged the support of stakeholders, including the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, Ghana Health Service, UNAIDS, World Health Organisation, and US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in generating the data.

The UNAIDS Country Director emphasized the importance of understanding the epidemic and using data for action to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. She highlighted the critical role of the media in advocating for the needs of persons living with HIV and improving societal enablers to create an enabling environment.

Ghana’s efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS were praised by the Country Director of the US Centre Disease Control (CDC), who commended the country’s progress towards achieving high-quality data to guide its national response. He encouraged stakeholders to use the data judiciously with technical guidance from experts to ensure meaningful interpretation and application.

The Ghana AIDS Commission is urging all stakeholders to work together to address these challenges and make significant progress in reducing new infections and achieving their goals. As we move forward, it is essential that we prioritize access to healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and women. Only through collective efforts can we hope to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

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