Health experts from Ghana and international academia have called for renewed investments in HIV testing, education, and people-centred care, warning that treatment success alone is not enough to end the HIV epidemic.
This call was made during a webinar organized by the Ghana Health Improvement Access Network (GHIAN), which brought together researchers, implementers, and frontline health professionals to discuss strategies for strengthening Ghana’s HIV response.
Despite significant progress in antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression, speakers noted that late diagnosis, stigma, weak linkage to care, and loss to follow-up continue to undermine national HIV control efforts.
“Treatment success does not automatically translate into epidemic control,” speakers emphasized, pointing out that education, early testing, timely diagnosis, and sustained engagement in care remain critical gaps in the HIV care cascade.
Declining HIV Education and Persistent Stigma
Participants highlighted a noticeable decline in public HIV education compared to the early 2000s, when nationwide campaigns such as “Know Your Status” were more visible.
Today, HIV information is often concentrated within ART clinics, leaving many healthcare workers in other departments without up-to-date knowledge on HIV prevention, testing, and care.
This knowledge gap, speakers noted, unintentionally fuels stigma, particularly around HIV testing, despite progress in improving viral suppression among people living with HIV.
Limited funding has also reduced opportunities for in-person training, further constraining capacity building for frontline health workers outside ART units.
Barriers beyond Individual Choice
The webinar emphasized that many people are not refusing HIV services but are constrained by systemic barriers. These include fear of disclosure within families and communities, limited access to testing, especially for men and young people—long travel distances to health facilities, transport costs, weak referral and linkage systems, and funding cuts affecting prevention, outreach, and follow-up programs.
“When services are difficult to access or don’t feel safe, people disengage, not because they don’t care, but because the system has not met them where they are,” one speaker noted.
The Current Reality
Ghana records an estimated 50 new HIV infections daily, yet only about 68% of people living with HIV know their status in 2024. Nearly 30% of clients are lost to follow-up, often due to cost, distance, stigma, or poor patient–provider experiences.
Speakers stressed that these figures underscore the urgent need to strengthen early testing, improve linkage to care, and retain clients within the health system.
Practical Solutions and Innovations
Speakers proposed the following priority interventions to close these gaps, including:
- Rolling out electronic HIV testing and surveillance systems to reduce duplicate and triplicate testing
- Expanding HIV self-testing and restoring community-based testing at strategic vantage points
- Strengthening HIV education and counselling skills across all health departments, not only ART units
- Promoting online learning platforms for continuous professional development amid funding constraints
- Working closely with Models of Hope and HIV peer supporters to strengthen counselling and continuity of care
- Using digital tools such as SMS reminders, WhatsApp follow-ups, and peer-support networks to improve retention, dignity, and person-centred care
- Policy reinforcement and advocacy: Aligning interventions with national HIV policies, ensuring ethical voluntary testing, addressing funding gaps, and integrating HIV services into existing health systems for sustainable impact
Webinar Speakers
The webinar featured expert contributions from:
- Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, PhD, MPH, MA – Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, USA
- Mary Abboah-Offei – Lecturer in Public Health, Edinburgh Napier University, UK
- Mr. Majeed Sulemana – Regional HIV/AIDS & TB Coordinator, Upper East Region, Ghana Health Service
Their perspectives bridged policy, research, and frontline realities, offering practical insights into strengthening Ghana’s HIV response.
What to Do Next
According to Florence Gyembuzie Wongnaah, CEO of the Ghana Health Improvement Access Network, sustaining Ghana’s HIV gains will require a shared responsibility among the government, development partners, communities, and health professionals, with a renewed focus on testing, education, system readiness, person-centered care, and policy support. While the Managing Director also stressed that community based and differentiated testing approaches must be scaled up to reach underserved and high risk populations.
About Ghana Health Improvement Access Network (GHIAN)
The Ghana Health Improvement Access Network (GHIAN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing access to quality healthcare services in Ghana through advocacy, research, and community engagement.
We work to identify health system gaps and partner with organizations to co-create interventions and policies that bridge gaps in prevention, treatment, and health equity, particularly for vulnerable populations.
