BY Daniel Bampoe
The Eastern Region’s long-standing struggle with HIV/AIDS, particularly in the Krobo traditional areas, has again come into sharp focus following the inauguration of a new Regional Committee of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).
Fresh data presented at the ceremony show that districts in Krobo land continue to record the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region, underscoring why renewed leadership and coordination are critical to the fight against the disease.
At a ceremony held in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Office of the Ghana AIDS Commission inaugurated a nine-member Regional Committee mandated to oversee and coordinate the decentralised HIV response in the region.
The inauguration was carried out in line with Section 9 of the Ghana AIDS Commission Act, 2016 (Act 938), which empowers the Commission to establish regional structures to strengthen local-level implementation of national HIV and AIDS policies.
Speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, the Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, Yaw Adu-Asamoah, charged the committee to act as the operational arm of the Ghana AIDS Commission in the region, performing functions assigned by the GAC Governing Board.
While members are expected to work within national policy guidelines, he noted that they retain responsibility for regulating their own internal procedures and meetings.
Adu-Asamoah placed the committee’s work within the broader national and global context, reminding members that Ghana is racing against time to meet the ambitious 95-95-95 targets by 2030.
These targets require that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95 per cent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Achieving these benchmarks, he said, is essential if Ghana is to end AIDS as a public health threat in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The urgency of the task was reinforced by sobering statistics presented at a regional HIV stakeholders’ forum held alongside the inauguration.
Disseminating findings from the 2024 National and Sub-national HIV Estimates and Projections, Rita Afriyie, Acting Technical Coordinator of the Technical Support Unit of the Ghana AIDS Commission, revealed that the Region recorded an estimated HIV population of 17,155 people across 10 districts.
Within the same period, new HIV infections stood at 845 cases across those districts.
The data highlighted stark disparities within the region, with Krobo districts topping the HIV prevalence chart.
Lower Manya Krobo recorded the highest adult HIV prevalence (ages 15–49) at 4.65 per cent, closely followed by Yilo Krobo at 4.50 per cent. Upper Manya Krobo also featured prominently with a prevalence rate of 3.28 per cent.
Other districts with relatively high rates included New Juaben South at 3.4 per cent and Asuogyaman at 2.77 per cent, while districts such as Okere, Ayensuano, Kwahu East, Akyemansa and Achiase recorded comparatively lower prevalence figures.
The consistently high prevalence in Krobo land reflects a historical trend that has concerned public health officials for decades.
The area has often been identified as a hotspot due to a complex mix of socio-economic factors, mobility patterns, urbanisation, and cultural dynamics.
These realities have made targeted interventions in the Krobo districts a priority in successive national HIV strategies.
Despite the worrying figures, Afriyie noted some encouraging signs. The region has seen an estimated reduction in HIV prevalence, new infections and AIDS-related deaths, developments she attributed largely to increased uptake of antiretroviral therapy services.
However, she cautioned that sustaining these gains would require intensified public education, expanded testing, and improved access to treatment, especially in high-burden districts.
Government, she added, is also working to secure the financial sustainability of the national HIV response.
Mr Adu-Asamoah disclosed that steps are being taken to establish a National HIV and AIDS Fund to reduce reliance on dwindling donor support and ensure long-term funding for prevention, treatment and care programmes.
