Youth at the Centre: Ghana’s 2024 National HIV Estimates Call for Urgent Digital Advocacy

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By Richard Agodzo

In 2024, Ghana is still grappling with HIV as a public health challenge. Despite interventions, one truth stands out from the just-released National HIV Estimates: young people remain significantly at risk of new infections. But the data also tells another story — one of opportunity. With digital platforms emerging as the new frontier of communication, youth-led HIV advocacy has the potential to change the course of the epidemic. Yet, stigma in the digital age is silencing the very voices that can save lives.


Ghana AIDS Commission, in collaboration with UNAIDS Ghana, unveiled the National HIV Estimates for 2024. The statistics, while a necessary national tool, are also a sobering reminder of the work yet to be done. Ghana is currently home to approximately 334,721 people living with HIV (PLHIV), with women making up nearly 69% of that population. In 2024 alone, the country recorded 15,290 new HIV infections. Alarmingly, young adults continue to constitute a significant portion of these new infections.


According to the data, adults aged 15 and above account for over 94% of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. This highlights the urgent need for effective, youth-centred HIV prevention strategies, particularly in digital spaces where young people spend a significant amount of time.

Hector Sucilla-Perez - UNAIDS Country Director and Dr Kharmacel Prosper Akanbong - Ag Director Ghana AIDS Commission

The Digital Dilemma: When Stigma Goes Online

The Digital Health and Rights Project report titled “Paying the Cost of Connection: Human Rights of Young Adults in the Digital Age” revealed a troubling trend. In Ghana — and echoed in Kenya, Vietnam, and Colombia — young people involved in HIV education and advocacy on social media often face online stigma and discrimination.

These negative experiences deter them from continuing to engage with their peers online about critical topics such as prevention, treatment, care, and the powerful message of U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). The very platforms that could serve as a tool for transformation are becoming hostile spaces that silence hope.


One powerful testimony from a focus group discussion with a young person living with HIV drives this point home:

“I used to post HIV education on prevention, treatment and care, U=U. Someone commented and asked me if I was HIV positive. Others asked if my parents knew I was living with HIV.”

This story is not unique. Many young people living with HIV or passionate about ending stigma have had to step back from digital advocacy because of the backlash they receive. This chilling effect not only limits peer education but threatens the progress Ghana is making toward viral suppression and ending the AIDS epidemic.


Why Youth Digital Advocacy Matters

Youth-led digital advocacy can be a game-changer in Ghana's HIV response. With over 47.5% ART coverage among adults and a PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission) coverage of 99.3%, the country has made critical strides. However, only 68% of PLHIV know their status, and just 69% of those on ART are virally suppressed.


These gaps, especially among the youth, can be narrowed by amplifying accurate HIV education and anti-stigma narratives through the voices of their peers in schools, communities, and most importantly, on social media.


A Call to Action

To unleash the power of young people in the HIV response, Ghana must:

Strengthen safe digital spaces for youth advocates by combating online HIV-related stigma.

Invest in digital literacy and resilience training for youth living with and affected by HIV.

Establish proper and responsive systems for reporting online HIV-related discrimination and harassment.

Recognise and support youth-led HIV digital campaigns as part of the national HIV strategy.

The data is clear. Youth must be at the centre of our HIV response — not just as beneficiaries but as powerful agents of change. They are not just the future; they are the now. But they cannot fight what they cannot speak about. Silence, especially in the digital age, is deadly.

LetYouthLead #DigitalHealthRights #HIVEstimates2024 #UequalsU #StopTheStigma

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