The most recent national HIV projections for Ghana show 15,290 new HIV infections and 12,614 AIDS-related deaths in 2024.
334,721 people were living with HIV during that time, according to the data, with women and young girls continuing to suffer a disproportionate part of the burden.
The numbers demonstrate the ongoing public health threat posed by HIV and AIDS in the nation and reflect the most recent official data pending the release of the 2025 forecasts.
In 2024, women made up 229,261 (68.5%) of all HIV-positive individuals, while men made up 105,460 (31.5%).
The Ashanti Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Ms. Olivia Graham, stated in an exclusive interview in Kumasi that women made up 10,303 of the 15,290 new infections reported during the year, or 67.4%, while men made up 4,987 cases.
There were 12,614 AIDS-related deaths, she said, with 5,455 males (43.2%) and 7,159 females (56.8%).
In 2024, 37,283 people between the ages of 15 and 24 were living with HIV, a 12.1% rise from 33,245 in 2023.
Young women made up 27,630 cases (74.1%) of the 2024 total, while young men made up 9,653 cases (25.9%).
While the number of young males living with HIV decreased from 11,419 to 9,653 during the same period, the percentage of young females living with HIV increased from 65.7% (21,826) in 2023 to 74.1% in 2024.
The number of new infections among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 was 4,732 in 2024, which was somewhat less than the 4,867 reported in 2023.
Nonetheless, 3,932 of the new infections, or 83.1% of the total, were in females, while 800 cases, or 16.9% of the total, were in males, suggesting a growing gender gap.
The number of young individuals who died from AIDS rose from 720 in 2023 to 842 in 2024, a 17% increase. Of these deaths, 490 were female, or 58.2%.
Ghana continues to fall short of the global 95-95-95 HIV objectives, according to the estimations.
The results show that 68% of individuals living with HIV are aware of their status, and 69% of those who have been diagnosed are undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Ninety percent of those receiving therapy have achieved viral suppression.
Over half of people living with HIV are not receiving treatment, as seen by the 47.5% overall ART coverage among adults.
18,229 individuals with HIV, or 5.4% of the total, were children between the ages of 0 and 14.
Additionally, they were responsible for 1,325 AIDS-related fatalities (10.5%) and 1,243 new infections (8.1%) in 2024.
However, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), which reached 99.3% coverage in 2024, was noted in the report as a significant success.
According to Ms. Graham, the data highlighted the critical need for focused interventions to address women’s growing vulnerability, especially that of young girls.
She advocated for more efforts to bridge the treatment gap and address the factors causing infections among young women, pointing out that while advancements in some areas, the large number of new infections remained a concern.
Ms. Graham recommended people to engage in safer sexual practices, such as using condoms, especially when they were unsure of their sexual partners’ HIV status.
She emphasised that since the figures indicated that the rate of new infections was still high, individuals needed to keep taking precautions to keep themselves and others safe.
Source: newsthemegh.com