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According to 2024 regional estimates from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), the Ashanti Region recorded 2,997 new HIV infections in 2024. This translates into an average of about nine people contracting the virus each day.
The Kumasi metropolitan area continues to account for a significant proportion of the new cases, a situation health officials say highlights the need for intensified prevention and treatment strategies.
The Ashanti Regional Director of Health, Dr Fred Adomako Boateng, told the Ghana News Agency that although progress has been made in testing and treatment uptake, a substantial number of people living with HIV are still not accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART).
“This gap poses a significant public health risk, and the only way to bridge it is by improving testing, increasing awareness, and making prevention services easily accessible everywhere,” he said.
Dr Boateng said efforts are ongoing to expand HIV testing and support services across communities in and around Kumasi. However, he added that stigma and discrimination continue to discourage many, particularly men and young people, from seeking testing and treatment.
“Knowing your status is the first and most powerful step in protecting yourself and those you love,” he stressed, urging the public to take advantage of free testing and counselling services available at health facilities in the region.
The Ashanti Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Madam Olivia Graham, said women make up a larger share of those infected, partly because more females test for HIV than males. She also noted that young people aged 15–24 constitute a significant proportion of new infections, calling for targeted education and interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour among the youth.
Health authorities say reversing the rising infection trend will require stronger community engagement, sustained public education, and support for all residents to know their HIV status and remain on treatment where necessary.
Source: GNA
