News
HIV cases soar in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern regions
The 2024 National HIV and Subnational Estimates has revealed that Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions have recorded the highest number of HIV infections and population.
Data from the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) shows that 77,821 persons living with HIV reside in Greater Accra, 63,159 in Ashanti, and 44,792 in the Eastern Region. The North East Region recorded the lowest figure, with 1,717 cases.
Mr Issiah Doe Kwao, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at GAC, attributed the high infection rates to unprotected sex, risky sexual behaviours, limited HIV awareness, and low condom use among the youth.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Accra Metro recorded 451 new infections, Kumasi 360, Techiman Municipal 264, Kpone-Katamanso 252, and Ga East 206—making them the five districts with the highest number of new cases.
Mr Kwao encouraged young people to use lubricated condoms, describing them as safe and effective.
He said GAC is scaling up HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and self-testing to strengthen prevention and widen access to treatment, particularly among high-risk groups.
He further noted that stigma and discrimination continue to hinder testing and care services, stressing the need to reinforce the national HIV response.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), HIV remains a major global public health challenge, with 44.1 million lives lost to date.
As of end-2024, an estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV worldwide, 65 per cent of whom were in the WHO African region.
In 2024, approximately 1.3 million new infections occurred globally, alongside 630,000 HIV-related deaths.
Although there is no cure, WHO states that effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care now enable people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives. –GNA