A new national HIV report has revealed that nearly one in every three Ghanaians living with HIV does not know their status, raising fresh concerns about the country’s ability to achieve global HIV control targets by 2030.
According to the latest National HIV Estimates released by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), an estimated 334,721 people were living with HIV in Ghana as of 2025, but only 227,593, representing 68 per cent, know their HIV status.
Health officials say the low testing rate remains the biggest obstacle to expanding treatment and reducing new infections.
Testing Gap Remains Biggest Challenge
Speaking at the dissemination of the 2025 HIV Estimates and Projections in Accra, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kharmacelle Akanbong, described HIV testing as the most important entry point into treatment and care.
He explained that people can only begin life-saving antiretroviral therapy after learning their HIV status.
According to him, Ghana has made significant progress in treatment and viral suppression, but more people must voluntarily test if the country is to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets by 2030.
Progress in Treatment
Presenting the report, GAC Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Isaiah Doe Kwao, said 156,821 people are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, representing 69 per cent of those who know their HIV status.
He added that 140,357 people on treatment have achieved viral suppression, representing 90 per cent of those receiving medication.
The figures place Ghana’s current HIV treatment cascade at 68-69-90.
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Children and Men Lag Behind
The report indicates that adult women continue to perform better across the HIV treatment cascade than men.
While 79 per cent of women living with HIV know their status, only 57 per cent of men have been diagnosed.
Among children, only 46 per cent know their HIV status, although the majority of those diagnosed are receiving treatment.
The Commission attributed the low diagnosis rate among children to missed opportunities for early infant diagnosis.
Call for More Testing
The Ghana AIDS Commission is urging the public to embrace voluntary HIV testing, stressing that early diagnosis allows people to begin treatment promptly, live healthy lives and prevent further transmission of the virus.
The Commission believes Ghana can achieve epidemic control if more people know their status, remain on treatment and maintain viral suppression while efforts continue to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
