About nineteen thousand nine hundred (19,100) people were infected with HIV last year.
Of this number, three thousand, three hundred (3,300), were children under 14 years. About 260 thousand HIV/AIDS orphans are reported to be in Ghana.
This was made by the Acting Director General of the Ghana AIDS commission, Kyeremeh Atuahene as he delivered the 2018 national estimates and projections report in Accra.
He said although Ghana is making strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS, the country can not meet the global 90-90-90 target by the end of 2020.
The global 90-90-90 fast track target spells out that by the end of 2020, 90 % all people with HIV will know their status.
Ninety percent (90%) of diagnosed people will be on the anti-retroviral therapy and 90% of those under therapy will have viral suppression.
The Acting Director General, Ghana AIDS Commission, Kyeremeh Atuahene said the 2018 statistics were unique in that new indicators such as , fertitility, mortality and breastfeeding and various sources of data were used.
Programme’s Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr. Stephen Ayisi Adoo said HIV is increasingly becoming an urban condition.
The Ghana AIDS commission is optimistic that the operationalization of the aids fund will help cater for aids orphans who don’t alraeady have social support.
Story by Augustus Acquaye
