The Founder and President of World Miracle Outreach, Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has bemoaned the rising levels of HIV/AIDS infections in the country.
Speaking on a panel discussion on GTV, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, the pastor was particularly worried about the rising number of HIV infections among students.
He indicated that the virus is spreading among students because of the high levels of promiscuity among them.
He added that the level of HIV infections at the nation's premier university, the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, is astonishing.
“The number of boys and girls in Legon who are HIV positive, you would have the biggest shock of your life. This is sad, this is sad and I’m happy I’m saying this on national TV.
“Some of these young boys and young girls already on campus are living promiscuous lives and they have already contracted HIV/AIDS. These are people I have prayed for... and I’m not talking about 10 years, 5 years,” the pastor said.
He added, “It is sad. And if some of them tell you how they get into it, what is happening is that some of these girls go to the place and when they come back they also connect to the boys and girls there. So, a lot of people think that they are getting a boy, they are getting a girl then it (HIV) spreads.”
The Ghana AIDS Commission has expressed concern over the disturbing statistics of HIV/AIDS cases, as its 2023 National HIV Report revealed that an estimated 50 people are infected every day in Ghana.
According to a report by kasapafmonline.com, the commission’s report shows that more than 218,000 HIV-infected people do not know their status.
Additionally, more than 152,000 people living with HIV are on anti-retroviral therapy (ART medication) - 36,000 male adults, 109,000 female adults, and 5,000 children.
The more worrying situation, the report indicated, is the projection in the nation’s capital, Accra, which shows that persons between the ages of 15 and 49 who are economically active represent the bulk of infections.
Also, the National Adult HIV prevalence for 2023 is estimated at 1.53%, with the number of people living with HIV estimated at 334,095, which is made up of 316,545 adults (94.7%) and 17,550 children (5.3%).
The HIV incident rate among adults aged between 15 to 49 in 2023 is estimated at 0.09%, with 17,774 estimated new infections (90.4% adults and 9.6% children) and 12,480 AIDS deaths.
Watch the pastor's remarks in the video below:
There are shocking numbers of students in University of Ghana, Legon who are HIV-infected,- Rev. Lawrence Tetteh alleges #GTVBreakfast pic.twitter.com/7dEYnd4Mq9
— GTV Ghana (@GTV_Ghana) October 25, 2024
Meanwhile, catch up on the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu as he caught with Philip Atawura, who just returned from a successful kidney transplant in India.
In the meantime, follow Ernestina Asante as she tours the Asokwa Constituency and speaks with MP Patricia Appiagyei in this episode of Campaign Trail on GhanaWeb TV: