HIV infections drop by 14% in Ghana
Ghana has recorded a notable decline in both new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, according to the 2025 National HIV Estimates and Projections released by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).
The report shows that new HIV infections dropped from 16,189 in 2024 to 13,951 in 2025, while AIDS-related deaths decreased from 13,429 to 12,051 over the same period, representing an overall reduction of nearly 14 per cent.
Presenting the findings in Accra on Monday, July 20, the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Isaiah Doe Kwao, attributed the progress to sustained investments in HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services nationwide.
He said the latest figures demonstrate that Ghana’s HIV response continues to deliver positive results, although additional efforts are needed to achieve the national goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Ghana’s HIV response is making progress, but we still have more work to do to reach epidemic control and ensure that no one is left behind,” Mr Kwao stated.
According to the report, an estimated 337,435 people are currently living with HIV in Ghana. Of this number, 315,513 are adults aged 15 years and above, while 21,922 are children under the age of 15.
The estimates also indicate that 19,528 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 are living with HIV, while young people aged 15 to 24 account for 33,317 cases.
Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Akanbong, emphasised that preventing new HIV infections remains central to Ghana’s national HIV response, noting that every new infection increases the number of people requiring lifelong treatment and care.
He explained that although Ghana has made encouraging progress, further reductions in new infections and AIDS-related deaths are essential to achieving epidemic control.
“Epidemic control means new infections and AIDS deaths must continue to decline. Ideally, there should be no new infections, although that is difficult to achieve. Our goal is to reduce them to the lowest possible level,” Dr Akanbong said.
He projected that, with sustained improvements in prevention programmes, HIV testing and treatment coverage, new infections could fall from 13,951 in 2025 to about 6,430 by 2030. AIDS-related deaths are also expected to decline from 12,051 to approximately 4,893 over the same period.
Dr Akanbong further noted that HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 has continued to decrease, falling from 1.79 per cent in 2015 to 1.40 per cent in 2025. The rate is projected to decline further to 1.18 per cent by 2030.
He attributed the steady reduction in HIV prevalence to expanded access to antiretroviral therapy, earlier initiation of treatment and improved retention of patients in care.
Despite these gains, Dr Akanbong cautioned that significant challenges remain, including identifying people who are unaware of their HIV status, expanding access to testing services and maintaining a reliable supply of life-saving antiretroviral medicines.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, healthcare providers and communities to sustain the progress made and accelerate efforts towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
