Ghana will join the global community in commemorating World AIDS Day 2024 with a call for the public, especially the youth, to know their HIV status.
World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1, serves as a day to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, show support for individuals living with the virus, and remember those who have passed away from AIDS-related illnesses.
The day is also an opportunity to unite voices, share experiences, and strengthen the global fight against HIV.
The theme for 2024, “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!” emphasizes the right to health and calls for action to address the inequalities hindering progress in ending AIDS.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by the end of 2023, an estimated 39.9 million people worldwide were living with HIV, with 65% of them being women in the WHO African Region.
During the same period, about 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes, and an estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV.
In Ghana, the AIDS Commission recorded 17,774 new HIV infections in 2023, with 12,480 deaths and 334,095 people living with HIV and AIDS.
The National HIV and AIDS Control Programme (NACP) of the Ghana Health Service also reported over 34,000 new HIV infections between January and September 2024.
Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, has emphasized the importance of HIV screening and treatment, and has urged the public to take advantage of free treatment options, which are effective in suppressing the virus.
He has also encouraged people to get tested, as many were unaware of their HIV status, despite free testing being available in most public health facilities.
Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager of NACP, expressed concern over the rising number of HIV infections in 2024, highlighting the challenge it poses to Ghana’s goal of ending the epidemic by 2030.
He urged sexually active individuals to take proactive steps to protect their health, stressing the importance of consistent and correct condom use to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
“The safest way to protect each other is to be faithful to your partner. Reduce new infections by behaving well or abstaining from sexual activities,” he advised, urging persons living with HIV to take their treatment seriously to prevent further transmission.
