More than 23,000 people are estimated to be living with HIV in the Western Region, with the region recording an average of three new infections every day, according to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).
The figures are contained in the 2025 HIV Estimates and Projections Report, released this year by the Ghana AIDS Commission.
Although the rate of new HIV infections in the region has recorded a marginal decline, the continued daily transmission remains a major public health concern, particularly as Ghana works towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Speaking to journalists in Sekondi during an HIV/AIDS Stakeholders Review Meeting, the Western Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Antonio Francis, disclosed that an estimated 23,000-plus people are currently living with the virus in the region.
“Per the 2025 HIV estimates and projections which were done by the Ghana AIDS Commission and the report came out this year, we can say that for the Western Region, we have roughly 23,000-plus people that we estimate are living with the virus in the region,” he said.
Mr Francis further disclosed that the region recorded a slight reduction in new HIV infections compared with previous estimates.
According to him, the number of newly infected persons has declined from about 992 cases, but the figure still translates into an average of at least three new HIV infections every day.
“If you look at the rate of new infections, it has reduced slightly from somewhere around 992 persons newly infected with HIV,” he explained. “What this means is that, if you should do a further breakdown, it means that every day we are getting at least three people getting infected in the region.”
Despite the marginal improvement, the GAC official cautioned against complacency, stressing the need for intensified efforts to prevent new infections and ensure that people living with HIV receive timely and effective treatment.
He said reducing new transmissions would require a sustained combination of comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, increased public awareness, early testing and diagnosis, as well as improved access to treatment and care.
Mr Francis warned that failure to reduce the rate of new infections significantly could undermine Ghana’s efforts to achieve its national target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The Ghana AIDS Commission is therefore expected to continue working with health authorities, civil society organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen HIV prevention, testing, treatment and public education across the region.
