Every day, 50 new cases of HIV infection are reported in Ghana, with the highest rates occurring in those between the ages of 15 and 49. To reach national goals, the Ghana AIDS Commission calls for more robust interventions.
According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), an estimated 50 individuals in Ghana get infected with HIV each day.
When the national and sub-national HIV and AIDS estimations and predictions for 2023 were released, the concerning figure was made public.
According to the report, there were 17,774 new HIV infections in 2023, affecting 1,698 children under the age of 15 and 16,076 individuals aged 15 and over. There are now 334,095 HIV/AIDS-positive individuals in Ghana, including 17,550 children under the age of 15.
The report highlighted that the majority of new infections occur among people aged 15 to 49, a group considered the economically active population.
Regions with the highest numbers of people living with HIV include Greater Accra, Ashanti, and the Eastern Region. At the district level, the highest HIV prevalence was recorded in the Accra Metropolitan Area, Kumasi Metropolitan Area, and Ledzokuku Municipality.
Even while AIDS-related fatalities and new infections are declining, the rate of decline is insufficient to reach national HIV reduction goals.
Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, stressed that although Ghana has achieved strides in its HIV intervention programs, more work has to be done to meet national and international goals at a media briefing on the results.
“Although we have made great progress, we must step up our efforts to meet the 98-98-98 target by 2030 and the 95-95-95 target by 2025,” Dr. Atuahene said.
Progress is nevertheless hampered by issues like data collection, validation, and quality control, and mother-to-child transmission is still a problem because of holes in the healthcare system.
Important participants in the event were the Ghana Health Service, PEPFAR, WHO, and UNAIDS.
Stakeholders are calling for coordinated measures to raise public awareness, strengthen healthcare services, and guarantee early detection and treatment in light of the 50 new infections that are reported every day.
In order to prevent new infections and assist those impacted, the Ghana AIDS Commission reiterated its dedication to combating the pandemic and called for closer collaborations and community engagement.
Source: 3. News
