By Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA – The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has called for the expansion of the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) HIV prevention project to all regions to sustain gains and accelerate the reduction of new infections.
Dr Fred Nana Poku, the Director of Technical Services at the GAC, said although the project had contributed to a decline in new infections among young people, the numbers remained high and required expanded interventions.
He made the call in an interview with the media on the sidelines at a review meeting for peer educators and community health nurses working on the AGYW Project.
It is being implemented by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), in partnership with the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, with support from the Global Fund.
Dr Poku said the Global Fund-supported project was currently being implemented in selected high-burden districts in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti regions.
“We think that the project should be expanded to involve other areas and regions, not just the implementing regions,” he said.
Data from the GAC indicates that 3,835 new HIV infections were recorded among young people aged 15–24 years in 2025, representing 27.5 per cent of all new infections.
The decline from 4,278 new infections in 2024 to 3,835 in 2025 shows that interventions are yielding results.
However, with young people still contributing 27.5 per cent of all new infections, the data suggest that the gains remain fragile.
“The fact that young people still account for more than one-quarter of new infections highlights the need for sustained and broader prevention efforts,” Dr Poku said.
“Adolescents and young people engage in risk-taking behaviours across the country, areas currently recording low infections can become new hotspots if prevention activities are concentrated only in selected regions.”
He said expanding the project would require additional funding to provide a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions for adolescent girls and young women and prevent emerging hotspots from reversing progress towards Ghana’s goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Dr Anthony Ashinyo, the Deputy Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, said the project had reached adolescent girls and young women at risk with education, STI screening, condoms, HIV self-test kits, and referrals for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
He said the combination of interventions was helping beneficiaries to make informed choices and adopt safer practices.
New HIV infections, he noted, had declined since the interventions began in the targeted areas, describing the development as encouraging.
Ms Rita Lodonu, the Project Coordinator, AGYW Project at HFFG, said efforts were being intensified to reach more beneficiaries before the project ended on December 31, 2026.
“The use of social media influencers had generated increased engagement, with beneficiaries seeking information on where to obtain HIV self-test kits and access health services.
The project Coordinator indicated that the review meeting would enable peer educators and community health nurses to identify challenges and develop practical solutions to improve their engagement with beneficiaries.
She said community-based and digital approaches would be adopted to promote HIV testing, prevention and linkage to appropriate health services.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Muniratu Akweley Issah