Denial of HIV-positive status and persistent stigma remain major barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uptake in the Ashanti Region, Madam Olivia Graham, Ashanti Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), has revealed.
According to the 2024 national HIV estimates, only 47.5 per cent of the country’s 334,721 people living with HIV are currently on treatment.
Addressing the media in Kumasi during the inauguration of the Regional AIDS Committee, Madam Graham said many people refuse treatment due to denial after diagnosis, while stigma also discourages them from seeking care.
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She urged individuals diagnosed with HIV to accept their status and enroll in treatment, noting the importance of doing so as Ghana works toward the global 95-95-95 HIV targets by 2030.
Madam Graham provided regional updates, reporting that the Ashanti Region has an estimated 63,159 people living with HIV, making it the second-highest after Greater Accra.
The Kumasi Metropolitan area alone accounts for 7,582 cases and recorded 360 new infections in 2024, second only to Accra’s 421. The region’s adult HIV prevalence stands at 1.59 per cent, slightly above the national rate of 1.49 per cent.
She called for intensified public education, increased testing, and expanded treatment access to curb new infections and improve coverage.
Dr. Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister and Chair of the Regional AIDS Committee, urged members to collaborate with partners to meet national HIV targets, highlighting the need to encourage more men to get tested.
