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The founder and president of World Miracle Outreach, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has expressed serious worry over the startling rise in HIV/AIDS infections in Ghana, especially among students, according to the Tigpost story.
Attributing the increase in cases to rampant teenage promiscuity, Dr. Tetteh stressed the urgency of prevention and awareness campaigns during a panel discussion on GTV on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
“The number of boys and girls in Legon who are HIV positive, you would have the biggest shock of your life,” the pastor said, highlighting the remarkably high infection rates at the University of Ghana, Legon. This is sad, and I’m glad I’m expressing it on national television.
“Some of these young boys and young girls already on campus are living promiscuous lives and they have already contracted HIV/AIDS,” he said, expressing dismay at the reality that many students confront. I have prayed for these individuals. and I’m not referring to five or ten years.
“It is sad,” Dr. Tetteh said, going into additional detail about the mechanisms of transmission. And if some of them explain to you how they get into it, the truth is that some of these females visit the place and then make connections with the other girls and boys there when they return. As a result, many individuals believe they are having a boy, but really they are getting a girl, and HIV spreads.
These worries have been echoed by the Ghana AIDS Commission, which in its 2023 National HIV Report highlighted alarming figures. According to the survey, about 218,000 people living with HIV are unaware of their status, and there are over 50 new infections every day throughout the country.
More than 152,000 people are presently undergoing anti-retroviral therapy (ART), comprising 36,000 adult males, 109,000 adult females, and 5,000 children, according to data from Kasapafmonline.com.
The situation in Accra is especially worrisome, as a considerable number of illnesses are documented among economically engaged people between the ages of 15 and 49.
According to the report, 334,095 adults in Ghana are estimated to have HIV in 2023, representing a 1.53% national prevalence. Of these, 17,550 are children (5.3%) and 316,545 are adults (94.7%).
The estimated 2023 HIV incidence rate for adults aged 15 to 49 is 0.09%, or 17,774 new infections, with 90.4% of cases occurring in adults and 9.6% in children. A frightening 12,480 AIDS-related deaths occurred over the year, according to the data.
The urgent need to address the growing prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Ghana, especially among young people, is highlighted by Dr. Tetteh’s appeal for increased awareness and preventive measures.
