Data from the national and sub-national HIV and AIDS estimates and predictions for 2023 revealed that 17,774 persons—6,457 men and 11,317 women—had their first HIV infection during that year.
There are 4,869 youngsters aged 15 to 24, 1,698 children under the age of 15, 1,520 adolescents aged 10 to 19, and 16,076 adults above the age of 15.
The Ghana AIDS Commission’s director general, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, made this announcement in Accra on Wednesday. According to the prediction, there would be a 14.8% drop in new infections between 2013 and 2023.
In the last 10 years, he claimed, “the data shows that Ghana has not been able to achieve its annual target of a 17 percent reduction in new HIV infections.”
According to Dr. Atuahene, between 2023 and 2030, there should be a 41% increase in new HIV infections in Ghana.
The estimates state that in 2023, 334,095 individuals in Ghana—115,891 men and 218,204 women—will be HIV positive.
17,550 children under the age of 14, 16,381 teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19, 33,245 young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, and 316,545 adults who were 15 years of age and older were HIV positive last year.
According to the data, the number of people living with HIV climbed by 9% between 2013 and 2023 and was predicted to rise by 6.8% by 2030.
According to predictions, 12,480 Ghanaians are expected to have passed away from AIDS-related illnesses in 2023.
Dr. Atuahene added that AIDS-related mortality occurs when it shouldn’t because therapies exist to stop the disease’s growth and the fatalities it causes.
He stated that the 95-95 targets, which include having 95% of people living with HIV aware of their status, 95% of those on antiretroviral therapy (ART) attaining viral suppression, and 95% of those on ART knowing their status by 2025, are goals that Ghana and the rest of the world are committed to achieving.
Dr. Atuahene stressed that Ghana met 65.3% of the first 95 targets in 2023, 69.4% of the second target, and 89.0% of the third target.
The majority of the nation’s HIV-positive population is active in the workforce and falls between the ages of 15 and 49.
He underlined that everyone’s primary aim should be to put an end to the AIDS scourge in the nation.