The Volta Region has been ranked seventh in Ghana’s HIV burden for 2024, with six districts recording prevalence rates higher than the national average, according to the latest National HIV Estimates presented at a stakeholders’ forum in Ho.
Madam Mary Naa Asheley Anyomi, the Volta Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), presenting the national overview, said an estimated 334,721 people are currently living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ghana.
Of this number 105,460 (31.5 per cent) are males and 229,261 (68.5 per cent) are females.
She said the country recorded 15,290 new HIV infections and 12,614 AIDS-related deaths in 2024.
Adult HIV prevalence (15–49 years) stands at 1.49 per cent, with females accounting for 67.4 per cent of adult infections.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage for adults remains at 47.5 per cent, far below the 95 per cent target, although Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) coverage has reached 99.3 per cent.
Touching on regional data, Madam Anyomi said the Volta Region recorded 19,078 PLHIV representing 5.7 per cent of Ghana’s total HIV population.
The region’s adult prevalence rate of 1.58 per cent places it 8th on the national prevalence table. Females aged 15 years and above accounted for 12,881 cases, males 4,999, while children aged 0–14 years constituted 1,198 cases.
She noted that eight districts, Anloga, Ho, Hohoe, Ketu South, North Tongu, South Tongu, Ketu North and Ho West contributed 72 per cent of the region’s total HIV burden.
She added that 60 per cent of all new infections in the region occurred among females, with seven districts alone contributing 75 per cent of new infections.
Madam Anyomi said six districts, Hohoe (2.19 per cent), Ho (2.14 per cent), North Tongu (2.09 per cent), Ketu South (1.76 per cent), Kpando (1.73 per cent) and South Dayi (1.67 per cent), registered prevalence rates higher than both the regional average of 1.58 per cent and the national average of 1.49 per cent.
Hohoe, Ho and North Tongu all exceeded the two per cent threshold.
She raised concern over low ART coverage, revealing that seven out of the 18 districts recorded coverage below 50 per cent, while 17 districts fell below 60 per cent.
Only one district achieved coverage above 61 per cent, which still remains significantly below the 95 per cent target needed for effective HIV prevention and treatment.
Madam Anyomi identified persistent challenges affecting the national response, including funding gaps due to declining donor support, limited investment in prevention and public education, procurement and supply-chain constraints, and ongoing stigma and discrimination that hinder testing, treatment uptake and disclosure.
She called for intensified public education across radio, television, social media and school-based clubs; expanded HIV testing services including HIV self-testing; strengthened prevention programmes such as condom promotion and PrEP; and improved ART and PMTCT service delivery.
Providing a situational update, Mr Courage Botchway, Volta Regional HIV Coordinator of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said the Service delivers comprehensive HIV services across the entire cascade, from testing and counselling to enrolment into care, treatment, viral load monitoring and ensuring clients achieve viral suppression.
He emphasised that attaining an “undetectable equals untransmutable (U = U)” viral load remains a key target, as individuals who are virally suppressed pose a negligible risk of transmitting HIV.
Mr Botchway said the GHS uses a “status-neutral” approach that provides prevention options, including condom use, behavioural interventions, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), for individuals who test negative but remain at risk.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment through human resource support, policy direction, and counterpart funding under the Ghana AIDS Commission, which operates from the Office of the President.
Looking ahead, he said Ghana is working towards achieving the 95-95-95 targets by 2031, ensuring that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed are placed on treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment attain viral suppression.
Meeting these targets, he noted, would significantly reduce HIV-related deaths and new infections over the next five years.
The forum also provided a platform for CHRAJ to outline ongoing efforts to protect the rights of people living with HIV, while civil society organisations including WAPCAS and PPAG shared updates on their contributions to the national response towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.
From Michael Foli Jackidy, Ho
GNA
