THE FALL OF HIV INFECTIONS BY 14% IN GHANA DOES NOT EMPOWER THE MASSES TO ENGAGE INDISCRIMINATE SEX – GHANA HIV AND AIDS NETWORK

The President of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Orstin has confirmed that though the recent cases of HIV/AIDS in the country has drastically reduced it should be an impetus to for the recalcitrant youths to engage in illicit sexual escapades.
Speaking to OWIATV NEWS, Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Orstin said the 14% reduction in the cases was still high empahsising that there were still other sexually transmitted diseases associated with unprotected sex acts.
Earlier reports suggested that Ghana has recorded a significant reduction in 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 declined from 16,189 in 2024 to 13,951 in 2025, while AIDS-related deaths also reduced from 13,429 to 12,051 within the same period, representing nearly a 14% decline. Presenting the estimates in Accra on Monday, July 20, the Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (RM&E) at the GAC, Isaiah Doe Kwao, attributed the progress to sustained investments in HIV testing, treatment and care services across the country. He said the figures demonstrate that Ghana’s HIV response is yielding positive results, although more efforts are required to achieve the target 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 said. The 2025 estimates indicate that about 337,435 people of all ages are currently living with HIV in Ghana. Out of this number, 315,513 are adults aged 15 years and above, while 21,922 are children below 15 years. The report further revealed that 19,528 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 are living with HIV, with young people aged 15 to 24 years accounting for 33,317 cases.
Speaking at the launch, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kharmacelle Akanbong, stressed that preventing new HIV infections remains a critical component of Ghana’s strategy, explaining that every new infection adds to the number of people requiring lifelong treatment and care. He noted that while the country has made steady progress, achieving epidemic control would require further reductions in new infections and AIDS-related deaths.
But Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Orstin warned Ghana’s case was still far from over since there was a nominal increase of the cases insisting that the 330,000 cases for our population must be a major source of worry to the nation.