Ghana finds itself confronting sobering evidence that progress against HIV remains fragile as it marks World AIDS Day 2025,. The latest national estimates from the Ghana AIDS Commission show that 334,721 people are presently living with HIV in the country, with 15,290 new infections recorded in 2024 alone—signaling a rise in transmission at a time when the global response faces funding and service-delivery disruptions.
Rising Numbers Reveal Persistent Inequities
The figures reveal deep gender imbalances. Of all people currently living with HIV, 229,261 are women, compared with 105,460 men, while 18,229 children—representing about 5.4%—continue to bear the burden of mother-to-child transmission. New infections, too, reflect this inequality: women accounted for 67.4% of new cases in 2024, a staggering indication of how socioeconomic vulnerability, biological susceptibility and gaps in prevention disproportionately affect women and adolescent girls.
On average, Ghana recorded nearly 42 new infections every day in 2024. The country also documented 12,614 AIDS-related deaths, reminding policymakers that despite advances in treatment, many are still dying from preventable causes.
Progress Off Track, Officials Warn
Officials describe the figures as a national “wake-up call.” Available data show that only 68% of people living with HIV are aware of their status, while around 69% of them are on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Though viral suppression rates are high among those on treatment, thousands still remain outside the care system—either undiagnosed, stigmatized, or unable to access services.
A Call to Renew Political and Social Commitment
Stakeholders are calling for immediate, decisive action, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen HIV prevention programs, expand access to treatment at all levels of care, including primary health facilities, and intensify public campaigns to combat stigma, which continues to hinder testing, treatment uptake, and adherence.
Health authorities are also urging sustainable domestic financing to reduce dependence on external donors, ensuring that critical HIV services remain uninterrupted.
As the global community renews its commitment to ending AIDS by 2030, Ghana’s latest figures serve as a stark reminder: meaningful progress depends on protecting vulnerable populations, safeguarding hard-won gains, and investing in robust health systems that guarantee every Ghanaian the right to live free from preventable HIV-related illness and death.
