African countries urged to cut down HIV new infections rate

Professor Kwasi Torpey, Dean, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, has called on African countries to aggressively cut down on HIV new infections to meet the United Nations’ 2023 HIV/AIDS target.

The target is to get the diagnoses of 95 per cent of all HIV-positive individuals, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 95 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 95 per cent of those treated by 2030.

He said Africa must cut down on new infections through prevention strategies, identify and improve access to treatment, remove all structural barriers to treatment, and strengthen community health systems to respond to the evolving needs.

Prof Torpey made the call during the University of Ghana’s sixth Inaugural Lecture for the 2022/2023 academic year on the theme: “Ending HIV/AIDS in Africa: Reflections from the Clinic, Field and Classroom”.

In 2022, West and Central Africa had 160,000 new HIV infections with 120,000 HIV deaths. In Eastern and Southern Africa, there were 500,000 new infections and 260,000 deaths.

Ghana in 2022 recorded 16,574 new infections and 9,359 deaths.

In 2021 Eswatini, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe achieved 95-95-95 whilst eight others are on track to reach the target.

Prof Torpey stated that despite the infection rate, Africa recorded the steepest decline of HIV infections between 2010 and 2022 with East and Southern Africa, recording 57 per cent reduction in new infections as Western and Central Africa recorded 49 per cent reduction, scaling the global average of 38 per cent.

There has been a massive reduction in new infections in some countries such as Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Eswatini, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burundi, and Cameroon, he said.

However, the number of new infections remains unacceptably high, and Africa would not end AIDS if it maintained the current new infection rate.

The Dean, School of Public Health, said despite the new infection rate, several African countries had shown that ending HIV was possible, adding that achieving epidemic control required systematic reduction of new infections in Africa.

“We must up our game in prevention, care, and treatment levels in the continent, adding that we must innovate, demonstrate creativity and commitment in this effort and together end AIDS.” Prof Torpey stated.

Source: GNA