Ghana records 13,951 new HIV infections as women account for 64% of cases

Ghana recorded 13,951 new HIV infections in 2025, with women accounting for 8,900 cases, or 63.8 per cent, as the Ghana AIDS Commission warns that the country is off track to meet global HIV targets.

Greater Accra recorded the highest number of new infections, with 3,141 cases, and had more than 77,000 people living with HIV at the end of the year.

Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Isaiah Doe Kwao, said the figures underscored the need to intensify prevention, testing and treatment efforts.

Speaking at the 2026 HIV and AIDS Partnership Forum, he identified condomless sex and having multiple sexual partners among the behaviours contributing to new infections. He also called for increased public awareness and sustainable funding for the national response.

Mr Kwao said slightly more than 330,000 people were living with HIV in Ghana at the end of 2025, with the concentration of people in major population centres partly accounting for the high numbers recorded in areas such as Greater Accra.

He noted that heterosexual sex remained the leading mode of HIV transmission in the country.

“This is important because in populations where there are more people, you realise that more people are engaging in heterosexual sex, which is the highest mode of transmission,” he said.

However, he stressed that the priority should be reducing new infections rather than focusing solely on the figures.

“But the most important is what are we doing to reduce these numbers?” he asked.

Mr Kwao cited casual sexual encounters, sex without condoms and having multiple sexual partners as behaviours that could increase the risk of HIV infection.

“For example, side chickism, hookups, people having sex without using a condom. This is one of the most critical transmission modes to get HIV and AIDS,” he said.

He urged sexually active people to know their HIV status, use condoms consistently and take steps to reduce their risk of infection.

“If you should go and test, if you test and you are negative, you live a non-risky life. You stick to your partner. It’s as simple as that. And be faithful to your partner,” he said.

Mr Kwao acknowledged that HIV could also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, but emphasised the importance of preventing sexual transmission.

The Commission has warned that Ghana is not on course to achieve the global 95-95-95 targets under its 2026–2030 National Strategic Plan.

The targets seek to ensure that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral treatment, and 95 per cent of those receiving treatment achieve viral suppression.

Mr Kwao said stronger prevention programmes, wider access to testing and sustained treatment would be necessary to improve the country’s performance.

He also identified inadequate funding as a major challenge, warning that donor fatigue was placing pressure on the national HIV and AIDS response.

“But now donor fatigue is setting in. That is why we are encouraging government to increase its financing for the national HIV and AIDS response,” he said.

The Commission is advocating an increase in the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund allocated to HIV and AIDS programmes to strengthen prevention and support services at the local level.

It is also seeking additional contributions to the National HIV and AIDS Fund to help finance programmes aimed at reducing new infections and improving access to services.

Mr Kwao said the Commission hoped to work with the private sector to attract more contributions through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

“We are hoping with government support we can be able to engage the private sector so that they can contribute more to the fund through their social corporate responsibility,” he said.

He added that the Resource Mobilisation Committee of the Ghana AIDS Board was being encouraged to mobilise additional resources to help bridge the funding gap.

Mr Kwao also appealed to individuals to contribute to the National HIV and AIDS Fund, saying donations of any amount could support the country’s response.

“Your 1 cedi can go a long way to help the fund because HIV can affect not only you, but also your family,” he said.

He encouraged the public to make contributions through the short code *9898#.

“You can also contribute if it’s 1 cedi, 10 cedis, 1 million. We accept so that we can raise funds to bridge the gap that we need to finance the HIV,” he added.