The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has revealed that an average of 42 new HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infections are recorded daily among adults and children across the country.

According to the Commission’s 2024 National and Sub-National HIV Estimates and Projections, a total of 334,721 people are currently living with HIV in Ghana. Out of this figure, 105,460 are males, representing 31.5 percent, while 229,261 are females, accounting for 68.5 percent.

The Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regional Technical Coordinator of the GAC, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bimbilla, who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, said the data provides crucial insight into the scale of the epidemic and guides effective planning.

He revealed that 15,290 new HIV infections were recorded in the country, comprising 4,987 males, representing 32.6 percent, and 10,303 females, representing 67.4 percent.

Mr. Bimbilla also noted that AIDS-related deaths currently stand at 12,614, consisting of 5,445 males and 7,159 females. He said approximately 229 deaths are prevented each week through the provision of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services.

Providing a regional breakdown, he said the North East Region recorded the lowest HIV population with 1,717 cases, while Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern recorded the highest figures of 77,821, 63,159, and 44,792 respectively.

He added that seven regions known as Ahafo, Upper East, Northern, Upper West, Oti, Savannah, and North East each recorded HIV populations below 10,000.

According to him, HIV prevalence is highest in the Bono Region with 2.22 percent, followed by the Eastern Region with 2.08 percent and Ahafo with 1.88 percent, while the North East Region recorded the lowest prevalence at 0.43 percent.

He further indicated that five regions, namely Oti, Upper East, Savannah, Northern, and North East, recorded prevalence rates below 1.0 percent.

Mr. Bimbilla stated that the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions also recorded the highest number of new HIV infections, with 3,436, 2,997, and 2,019 cases respectively, while the North East Region recorded the lowest with 97 cases.

Eleven regions, including Bono, Volta, Bono East, Western North, Ahafo, Upper East, Northern, Upper West, Oti, Savannah, and North East, recorded fewer than 1,000 new infections.

Commenting on the trend, Mr. Bimbilla described the decline in HIV prevalence, new infections, and AIDS-related deaths as a positive development, which he attributed to the growing uptake of ART services.

He expressed optimism that the downward trend would help Ghana achieve epidemic control and urged continued efforts in public education, testing, and access to treatment to sustain progress toward eliminating HIV and AIDS.

In 2024, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, partly attributed the rise in new HIV infections in Ghana at the time to individuals' reluctance to disclose their HIV status to their spouses, fearing desertion.

Dr. Atuahene emphasized that the refusal of some HIV-positive individuals to continue their medication was a significant factor in the spike.

He explained, "The fear of the husband or wife deserting them leads some not to disclose their status. Some are afraid their spouse may discover they are taking daily medication, leading them to hide or discontinue their medicines."

According to the Ghana AIDS Commission, over 334,000 people live with HIV in Ghana. In 2023, the country reported 17,774 new cases, with 11,317 women and 6,457 men affected.

This alarming trend has prompted the commission to address the underlying causes and increase awareness about the importance of medication adherence and status disclosure.

Dr. Atuahene highlighted the increased vulnerability of females to HIV infections compared to males. He explained, "When a female has sex with a man, penile sex and the man ejaculates, the sperm which might contain HIV particles may remain in her for quite some time, whereas that of the male you hardly can see that. Secondly, the surface area of the vagina is much wider than that of the male, and thirdly, the mucus membrane of the vagina is much more fragile than that of the male."

Additionally, the Director General noted that universal male circumcision in Ghana serves as a protective factor against HIV transmission. "Women must be aware that they are more vulnerable and therefore they should protect themselves," he emphasized.

Dr. Atuahene also pointed out the significant difference in transmission rates between genders.

"The transmission rate from woman to man is just about 2%, whereas it is more than 12% for a man. That is why women should not gamble with their health and their life by just accepting that 'if he will give them more money to have sex without a condom, it's okay for me.' It shouldn’t be okay for you, especially when you might have untreated sexually transmitted diseases that can also heighten the chance of you getting HIV," he warned.

The Ghana AIDS Commission continues to advocate for increased awareness and preventive measures to combat the rise in HIV infections.

By addressing issues such as status disclosure, medication adherence, and gender-specific vulnerabilities, the commission aims to reduce the incidence of HIV and improve the quality of life for those affected.