Young people aged 15–25 now leading new HIV infections in Ghana

The Ghana AIDS Commission has raised concerns over a rising number of new HIV infections among young people aged between 15 and 25, a development that is shifting the national infection pattern away from traditionally high-risk groups.

In an interview with Woezor TV published on YouTube on Monday, July 28, 2025, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Aids Commission, Dr Prosper Akambo, said the latest national data show that the youth have now overtaken groups such as female sex workers and men who have sex with men in new infections.

“In recent years, the rate of rise in key populations is not as sharp as we are seeing in the general population especially in the 15 to 25 year age group,” Dr Akambo said.

Figures from the Commission indicate that Ghana recorded 15,529 new HIV infections in 2024, a slight drop from 17,400 in 2023 and 16,574 in 2022. But a closer look at the data shows a steady increase among adolescents and young adults, many of whom have limited access to accurate sexual health information.

Dr Akambo linked the trend to the decline in public HIV awareness campaigns over the past decade.

He explained that many of today’s young people, who were children 10 years ago, have now reached sexually active ages without the consistent public education that supported earlier stages of Ghana’s HIV response.

“You and I, growing up, heard about HIV prevention and stigma on every media platform,” he said. “But in the past ten years, those messages have faded. That’s where we lost out.”

He said the Commission’s attention had shifted over the years to treatment and high-risk groups, leading to reduced investment in broad-based prevention and public messaging. That, he noted, is now changing, with more attention being paid to the general population, particularly the youth.

As part of efforts to address the situation, the Ghana AIDS Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to train 1,000 young people to serve as HIV awareness and stigma reduction ambassadors in their communities and workplaces.

The initiative is aimed at reviving grassroots education and connecting more people to voluntary testing and treatment.

In addition, the Commission is expanding access to self-testing kits at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres and working with community-based organisations to help those who test positive to begin treatment quickly.

Dr Akambo also said the Commission is tackling stigma, which continues to prevent people from seeking testing or treatment.

He said part of that effort involves introducing a new labour law that would make it a criminal offence to discriminate against people living with HIV in the workplace.

“HIV is now manageable, like diabetes or hypertension,” he said. “People living with HIV can live normal lives if they stay on treatment and reach undetectable viral loads. What keeps people away is fear, stigma, and silence.”

He said the Commission is working to re-engage the public through a more balanced approach that promotes prevention, testing, treatment, and legal protection, particularly in areas and groups that have been underserved.