By Muniratu Issah
Accra, Oct. 3, GNA – Ghana has been selected by the Society for AIDS (SAA) to host the 23rd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) to scale-up the country’s collective response.
The event, which comes off on December 3 to 8, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre was announced after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was concluded under the leadership of Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
ICASA is a biennial conference that aims at collaborating with other national, regional and international organisations, donors and other partners to institute policies and promote research knowledge to support African government’s national responses and strengthen the health system to control and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other emerging infections.
With the West African sub-region lagging in the fight against the pandemic, Member States are to ensure that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 per cent of people, who know their status are receiving HIV treatment, and 95 per cent of people on treatment are virally suppressed.
Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director General, Ghana AIDS Commission, during a press briefing, said, the Conference would bring the spotlight on Ghana’s HIV response and challenges, share knowledge and practices from experts towards achieving the 2030 global targets.
“We are lagging in these targets and this conference, for me, will provide a significant impact for us,” he said.
Dr David Pegwesese Parirenyatwa, ICASA 2025 President, said the event would bring together thousands of delegates from across the globe to share insights, research, and strategies to combat HIV and AIDS pandemic and emerging viral diseases on the African continent.
He said over 8,000 delegates from over 105 countries attended ICASA in 2023 in Zimbabwe and Ghana is expected to host over the same number of delegates.
“The 23rd edition of ICASA would also mark the 35th anniversary of the Society for AIDS in Africa. ICASA 2025 would be a pivotal moment in advancing Africa’s health systems towards achieving the sustainable development goals and advancing the AU Agenda 2063,” he said.
Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), said, 334,000 people were living with HIV in Ghana, having a toll on the health system and the population of Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of the Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, Minister for Health, he said last year alone, an estimated 12,400 people died from HIV-related conditions while almost 18,000 new infections were recorded.
“HIV affects every sphere of the population, children, pregnant women and everyone. We know that the burden of HIV in Ghana is highest in transgender women. That is almost 50 per cent and that is followed by the men who have sex with men, also at 28 per cent,” Dr Ayisi Addo.
Mr Luc Armand Bodea, ICASA Director said participants would benefit from best practices from over 8,000 delegates, who are not only from Africa but the entire globe.
He said “We cannot do it without the Western world. We are going to share the latest knowledge on HIV and beyond that we are delving deep into fighting TB, malaria and strengthening the health system on our continent.”
GNA