The Asokore-Mampong Municipality has recorded a significant reduction in HIV cases over the past year, with health officials attributing the trend partly to intensified screening campaigns and sustained public education efforts across schools and communities.
New data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows that HIV prevalence in the municipality fell from 1.05 per cent in 2024 to 0.75 per cent in 2025, reflecting a decline in the number of people recorded as living with the virus.
According to Ms Rebecca Abora, the municipality’s HIV focal person, the total number of HIV cases dropped from 1,517 in 2024 to 1,161 in 2025.
The 2024 figure comprised 449 males, 989 females and 79 children aged 0–14 years, while the 2025 data recorded 372 males, 726 females and 63 children in the same age category.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Ms Abora said the decline suggested encouraging progress in HIV prevention and detection efforts, but cautioned that the figures did not necessarily mean HIV transmission had been completely curtailed.
She explained that some of the reduction could be due to people relocating to other areas or transferring their care to different health facilities, which would affect the number of cases captured within the municipality.
Despite the positive trend, she said stigma and fear remained major barriers preventing many people from accessing HIV testing services.
“Some individuals are still reluctant to test because they fear the results or believe HIV is associated with shame,” she said.
Ms Abora stressed that early testing and diagnosis were critical because HIV could be effectively managed when detected in its early stages.
She warned that delaying testing until symptoms became severe often made treatment more difficult and increased the risk of complications.
She also called on residents to end discrimination against people living with HIV, noting that family and community support played a crucial role in helping patients adhere to treatment and maintain good health.
The municipality has stepped up community outreach programmes, including screening and education campaigns in junior and senior high schools.
Ms Abora said health officials had conducted several outreach activities in communities such as Aboabo, Parkoso and Buoban, where students were educated on HIV prevention, safe behaviours and the importance of knowing their HIV status.
She added that continued public sensitisation at schools, health facilities and community gatherings would help dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV while encouraging more residents to voluntarily seek testing and treatment services.
