The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) today launched the national campaign for World AIDS Day (1 December) under the theme “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response” with the sub-theme “Africa Unites Against AIDS”, amid concern over a recent uptick in HIV infections.
At the launch event, Dr Emmanuel Teviu of the National HIV & AIDS Control Programme revealed that 68 % of people living with HIV know their status, 69 % of those are receiving treatment, and among those, 90 % have achieved viral suppression.
He also noted that while Ghana is moving toward its goal of an AIDS-free generation by 2030, the number of new infections, 15,290 in 2024, alongside 12,614 AIDS-related deaths remain “not just statistics, but lives that could have been saved.”
Earlier data showed more than 34,000 new HIV infections detected between January and the third quarter of 2024, raising alarm bells about the pace of transmission.
GAC Chair Kakra Essamuah appealed to the private sector and civil society to invest in HIV-prevention, testing and treatment services as donor funding declines.
The Commission announced a nationwide series of activities including testing drives, community engagements and a national durbar in Accra in December.
Emphasis was placed on reducing stigma and discrimination, strengthening youth-targeted outreach (ages 15-24) and scaling up modern prevention tools including PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
Despite significant progress in the HIV response, the surge in new infections threatens to reverse gains. The GAC says urgent action is needed to ensure Ghana remains on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Today we stand together to renew the shared commitment to a future where no Ghanaian dies of AIDS or faces discrimination because of HIV,” the Commission said.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
