Ghana faces HIV stigma and rising STI rates among youth

Ghana faces significant public health challenges regarding HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that threaten national health goals. While new HIV infections in Ghana declined by nearly 14 percent between 2024 and 2025, experts warn that social stigma remains a primary obstacle to the country’s goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Ghana notes that stigma prevents individuals from seeking testing and adhering to antiretroviral therapy, which is essential for achieving viral suppression. This social barrier disrupts the entire care pathway, potentially derailing the UNAIDS 95-95-95 framework targets.

Simultaneously, a rising prevalence of STIs among adolescents and young adults presents a separate crisis. Research indicates a national STI prevalence of 7.5 percent, with higher rates in urban areas. Among adolescents aged 15 to 19, prevalence is 7.1 percent for males and 12.5 percent for females. Studies have identified Chlamydia trachomatis as the most common infection among young women, at 23.2 percent, followed by gonorrhoea.