Ghana: No Cure Yet for HIV ...GAC Urges Strict Adherence to Treatment

What the report says

The Ghana AIDS Commission has restated that HIV has no cure and is urging people living with the virus to stay on antiretroviral treatment so it can be suppressed and managed over the long term. The message was delivered in Accra by the commission’s director-general, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times during a capacity-building workshop held with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

According to the report, the commission says treatment remains highly effective, but coverage in Ghana is still below target. It said only 57% of the estimated 337,435 people living with HIV are currently on treatment. Dr Akanbong linked the gap to stigma, discrimination, denial, and patients stopping medication once they feel better or turning instead to prayer and herbal remedies. He stressed that consistent use of ART can suppress the virus and help prevent HIV-related deaths.

The commission also said more than 13,000 deaths were averted through treatment in 2025, underscoring the public health value of sustained adherence. It plans to improve access by making ARVs available through designated pharmacies and other accredited facilities, while also expanding prevention tools such as PrEP and PEP and strengthening condom services.

AHF Ghana country director Dr Ekua Houphouet also highlighted the role of the media in encouraging testing, prevention awareness and treatment adherence. In broader context, HIV treatment does not cure the infection, but it can keep the virus under control and allow people to live long, healthy lives when taken as prescribed.