Data from the Ghana AIDS Control Commission indicate that more than 1,000 new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections were recorded in the Western Region in 2024, the Western Regional HIV Coordinator, Dr Felicia Amihere, has said.
She said 80% of the new infections were acquired through sexual contact, 15% through mother-to-child transmission, while five per cent resulted from the use of sharp objects such as needles.
Speaking in an interview with the media at Huni-Valley, Dr Amihere advised the public to take steps to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases, noting that sexual activity remained the leading cause of new HIV infections in the region.
She urged the public to practise the “A, B, C” approach to prevention — abstinence, being faithful to one uninfected partner, and the correct and consistent use of condoms. She said abstinence alone, if widely practised for a year, could reduce HIV infections by as much as 80%.
Dr Amihere expressed concern over changing sexual behaviours, explaining that technology had made casual sexual encounters easier.
“Now sex comes in so many forms. People can download apps on their mobile phones and order sex as they order a ride,” she said.
She also raised concerns about the misuse of emergency contraceptives, noting that some people relied on them instead of condoms, thereby increasing their risk of infection.
She said HIV was first detected in Ghana in 1986 and should have significantly declined by now, but infections continued to rise.
Dr Mrs Amihere linked the increasing prevalence in the Western Region to economic activities, particularly mining.
“Where money is involved, sexual activities increase. So, in Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities we have high cases,” she said.
She added that districts such as Wassa Amenfi Central, East and West, which previously recorded lower HIV prevalence, were now seeing increases due to intensified mining activities.
Dr Mrs Amihere stressed that HIV was a medical condition and not a spiritual issue, adding that people living with the virus could live healthy lives if they adhered to treatment.
“HIV is real. It is not spiritual. People get it, but with the appropriate treatment, they manage it and stay healthy,” she said.
She cautioned against abandoning antiretroviral treatment for unverified herbal or spiritual remedies, warning that there was currently no cure for HIV/AIDS.
“Those who switch their treatment to those medications end up progressing to AIDS, and it’s too late. Some even lose their lives,” she said.
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