The Ministry of Health has sounded the alarm over Ghana’s inadequate HIV/AIDS treatment coverage, cautioning that the persistent gap in care threatens national efforts to curb the epidemic.
Unveiling Ghana’s 2024 National HIV Estimates at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025), Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh disclosed that the country registered 15,290 new infections and more than 12,000 AIDS-related deaths last year. Out of the 334,721 people living with HIV, over 18,000 are children below the age of 15.
Despite the heavy toll, only 47.5% of adults and 35.8% of children living with HIV are currently receiving treatment. The Minister described this shortfall as the most significant obstacle to achieving epidemic control.
Addressing the wider impact, Mintah Akandoh underscored the urgent need to tackle inequalities that restrict access to care. He noted that key populations — including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals — continue to encounter serious barriers due to stigma and discrimination within the health system.
The Minister further highlighted the vulnerability of young people, pointing out that adolescents and youth aged 10 to 24 account for nearly one-third of all new infections. Adolescent girls and young women remain disproportionately affected by entrenched gender inequalities, a situation he described as “deeply troubling” and a major factor driving the treatment gap.
Although progress has been made — with a 90% treatment success rate among those enrolled in care and a 99.3% prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) rate — more than 160,000 diagnosed individuals are still not on treatment. Akandoh warned that this poses a serious challenge to Ghana’s 2030 target of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat.
“Our 2024 national estimates reveal both impressive progress and serious challenges,” he said. “Ghana has approximately 334,721 people living with HIV, including over 18,000 children under 15. Adult prevalence stands at 1.49%, with 15,290 new infections and 12,614 AIDS-related deaths recorded last year. Encouragingly, those on treatment have reached 90%, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission stands at 99.3%.”
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