World AIDS Day is celebrated annually on December 1 to spread awareness on HIV and show support for people living with HIV. This year’s global theme Take the Rights Path highlights the importance of placing human rights and communities at the centre of the HIV response. To reflect the country’s priorities, Ghana selected the theme Ending AIDS together: stepping up prevention efforts to highlight the need for collective action in the national HIV response. 

Progress made but off kilter to meet the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets

UNAIDS global targets aim to ensure that by 2025, 95% of all persons living with HIV know their HIV status, 95% of persons living with HIV who know their status receive treatment and 95% of all people receiving treatment are virally suppressed. Ghana has made huge strides since the first recorded HIV case in 1986, however current estimates indicate that the country is currently off track to meet the UNAIDS targets. Available data indicate that only 65.3% of all persons living with HIV know their status, 69.4 % of persons living with HIV are currently on treatment and 89% of all those on treatment have reached viral suppression.

As we mark this year’s World AIDS Day, urgent actions are required to realign our efforts and renew our commitment to ending AIDS by 2030.

Focus on men

Providing HIV prevention services for men is crucial for HIV epidemic control. Recent models indicate that improving men’s HIV testing and treatment coverage could reduce HIV incidence among women by half. Sexual and reproductive health services have traditionally been designed with a primary focus on women, often overlooking the specific needs of men and leaving them underserved in HIV prevention and related healthcare. Focusing on men would require we identify and address specific barriers that prevent men from accessing HIV services. Deliberate efforts are also needed to reach men with targeted HIV prevention interventions that address masculinity and encourage health seeking behaviours.

Prioritize young people in HIV prevention

Despite the progress made in the past decade, UNAIDS estimates that the world is still lagging behind on HIV prevention targets set for young people. Recent estimates in Ghana indicate that about a quarter of all new HIV infections that occurred in 2023 were among young persons and only 36% of young women and 37% of young men have adequate knowledge of HIV prevention. Stepping up prevention efforts would require prioritizing investments in youth-friendly and tailored HIV prevention initiatives to empower young people and minimize their vulnerability to HIV. This would also mean that we make deliberate attempts to meaningfully include the voices of young people in the national HIV response.

Harness the power of digital tools 

The world is in a digital age and digital tools have the potential to bridge equity gaps by improving access to HIV prevention especially for vulnerable groups. We must harness the power of digital tools and platforms to offer confidential and accessible information and services while implementing robust safeguards to protect users. As highlighted in UNDP’s guidance on rights based and ethical use of digital technologies in HIV and health programmes, designing and implementing digital health technologies for HIV and health with attention to ethical principles is crucial to promote access to HIV and health services. The youthplus app cocreated with young persons living with HIV is a novel way of providing relevant HIV prevention information for young persons.

Reduce HIV related stigma and discrimination 

HIV related stigma and discrimination hinders HIV prevention by creating barriers that discourage individuals from accessing and using available services such as prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. Stigma further perpetuates silence and spreads misinformation, limiting knowledge and awareness of available HIV prevention strategies. The Ghana demographic and health survey indicates that 78% of women and 72% of men who have heard of HIV and AIDS expressed discriminatory attitudes towards persons living with HIV.  Concerted and deliberate efforts are urgently needed to normalize discussions around HIV in communities, reduce internalized stigma amongst persons living with HIV and empower healthcare professionals to provide non-discriminatory care. UNDP in partnership with the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) is strengthening capacities of health care workers in Greater Accra region to provide non discriminatory HIV services 

Conclusion 

Ending AIDS by 2030, will not happen by chance. It will require concrete, concerted and deliberate efforts from all actors. Let us use this World AIDS Day to galvanize support, consolidate gains and step up prevention efforts to end AIDS by 2030.