Ghana is set to observe the 2024 World AIDS Day National Durbar today, Monday, December 2, at 9:30 AM, at Exhibition Park near the Spanner Bus Stop in front of Accra Mall.

The event, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, is focused on the theme “Ending AIDS Together: Stepping up Prevention Efforts,” as the country grapples with a significant rise in new HIV cases.

The National Durbar will bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including prominent leaders such as Hon. Osei Bonsu, Hon. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, and Hon. Dr. Kyreemah Atabeahene, as well as key figures from various organizations like Mr. Hector Sucilla Perez, Mr. Frank Lube, Mr. Jehuan Ansah, and Ms. Elsie Agyah.

The event will feature messages from international partners, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNAIDS, and PEPFAR, emphasizing the global importance of tackling the AIDS epidemic.

In light of recent data, the event takes on heightened significance. According to Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programmes Manager for the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Ghana recorded at least 34,000 new HIV cases between January and the third quarter of 2024.

This surge comes despite ongoing awareness efforts and screening activities conducted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), which screened approximately 1.3 million people.

Dr. Ayisi Addo highlighted the urgent need for intensified prevention and treatment measures, warning that the high number of new infections threatens the nation’s goal of eliminating AIDS by 2030.

He stressed the importance of encouraging people living with HIV to seek treatment, including access to antiretroviral drugs, and called for greater involvement from community groups, religious leaders, and civil society organizations in spreading awareness.

Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), also underscored the growing public health risk posed by complacency, urging the public to adopt preventive measures like abstinence and condom use. He warned that the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS could falter if the public fails to act with urgency.

The event today will serve as a reminder of the collective responsibility to fight the AIDS epidemic and promote better prevention efforts across the country.