Founder and President of World Miracle Outreach,Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has expressed deep concern over the increasing rates of HIV/AIDS infections
Founder and President of World Miracle Outreach,Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has expressed deep concern over the increasing rates of HIV/AIDS infections in the country.
During a panel discussion on GTV on Thursday, 24 October 2024, he highlighted his particular worry about the alarming rise in infections among students.
He attributed the spread of the virus among this demographic to high levels of promiscuity. Dr. Tetteh specifically mentioned the situation at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, noting that the number of HIV-positive students there is shockingly high.
“The number of boys and girls at Legon who are HIV positive will give you the biggest shock of your life. This is sad, and I’m pleased to bring this issue to light on national television,” he stated.
“Some of these young boys and girls already on campus are living promiscuous lives and have already contracted HIV/AIDS. These are people I have prayed for… and I’m not talking about 10 years or 5 years,” he said.
He further stated, “It is sad. If some of them tell you how they got into it, what is happening is that some of these girls go to certain places, and when they come back, they also connect with the boys and girls there.
So, a lot of people think that they are getting a boy or a girl, and then it (HIV) spreads.”
The Ghana AIDS Commission has raised alarms regarding the troubling statistics surrounding HIV/AIDS cases in the country. The 2023 National HIV Report reveals that an estimated 50 individuals are infected daily in Ghana. According to a report by kasapatmonline.com, the commission found that over 218,000 people living with HIV are unaware of their status.
Currently, more than 152,000 individuals receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) include 36,000 male adults, 109,000 female adults, and 5,000 children.
Of particular concern is the situation in the nation’s capital, Accra, where projections indicate that economically active individuals aged 15 to 49 account for the majority of new infections.
The National Adult HIV prevalence for 2023 is estimated at 1.53%, with a total of 334,095 people living with HIV, including 316,545 adults (94.7%) and 17,550 children (5.3%). The HIV incidence rate among adults aged 15 to 49 is estimated at 0.09%, with approximately 17,774 new infections recorded this year, comprising 90.4% adults and 9.6% children, alongside 12,480 AIDS-related deaths.