
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Many point to the entire continent of Africa as an example of devastatingly high rates of HIV transmission. But Ghana has been able to break from its neighbors, becoming the only African country to drastically reduce the rate of infection. In June, Ghana's vice president, John Dramani Mahama, visited the U.S. for a United Nations assembly called the High-Level Meeting on AIDS, in which he boasted that his country's prevalence rate has been slashed in half in the last decade. In 2001, 4% of Ghana residents had HIV. As of 2009, about 2.1% had the virus. The decade of effort to lower those HIV rates began with a national strategy plan and the establishment of the Ghana AIDS Commission. After a massive public education campaign and collaborations with community-based organizations, the country is now looking to eradicate all mother-to-child transmissions of the virus. The government has also set its sites on a lofty goal: ending stigma against people with HIV. 'There existed a misunderstanding of what the disease was about, and so people were afraid to eat from the same plate with an HIV infected person because they thought they could get infected [by] sharing things together,' he told National Public Radio. . 'You know, and [educational initiatives] dispelled a lot of the misunderstanding of the sickness and we are encouraging'counseling and testing, you know, so, that people can go and test and know what their status is.' Another key to reducing HIV rates, Mahama says, is the important task of nation building. By the 1990s, many African countries were left in shambles due to colonization, which had lead to famine, disease, and lack of education. Since then, countries like Ghana have worked to redevelop infrastructure, end military dictatorships, encourage media freedom, and adopt more environmentally-friendly practices. As part of the major United Nations meeting on HIV, Ghana and 21 other nations like C'te d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, and, South Africa, signed a far-reaching 105-point joint action plan aimed at eradicating the virus. The countries agreed that the future fight against HIV will largely focus on women, particularly mothers who are HIV-positive. The declaration emphasizes ensuring that women's rights are respected so that women, families, and communities are empowered to focus on their own health issues. Efforts are also planned to increase the focus on maternal health, as well as the health of newborns and small children. This new joint action plan came with some U.S. support: millions of dollars in funding from organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chevron, and Johnson & Johnson. The companies together pledged an additional $75 million on top of the approximately $300 million that these nations receive from the U.S. from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM
Post-election blues? Some advice from mental health experts
November 08 2024 12:36 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM