Across Ghana’s ongoing battle with HIV/AIDS, the most insidious threat to people living with HIV (PLHIV) is no longer the virus itself but the relentless stigma and discrimination that surround it. At the heart of this message is the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), which has made it clear that societal prejudice inflicts more harm than the infection, driving PLHIV into isolation, deterring them from testing, and jeopardizing their access to life-saving treatment.
During Zero Discrimination Day, Dr Samuel Yao Atidzah, Executive Director of the GOSANET Foundation, delivered a stark reminder of the human toll exacted by stigma. He asserted, “Stigma and discrimination hurt, kills faster than the disease itself,” explaining that fear of condemnation forces many PLHIV to shun clinics and conceal their status, compounding health risks for individuals and undermining broader public-health efforts.
Earlier media campaigns spearheaded by the GAC brought to light data from the Ghana Statistical Service revealing the depth of discriminatory attitudes in everyday life. Among those aware of HIV, 78 percent of women and 72 percent of men admitted they would refuse to buy produce from someone with the virus or would oppose children with HIV attending school alongside their peers.
Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene lamented that such widespread misconceptions not only violate the rights of PLHIV but also perpetuate dangerous barriers to care and community support.
At a training session for journalists on Zero Discrimination Day, the Commission’s Director-General emphasized that the media carries a profound responsibility in combating stigma. He underscored that “stigma, more than the illness, poses the greatest threat to PLHIV” and urged reporters to use their platforms to promote equality, debunk myths, and report responsibly so as not to inflame prejudice against vulnerable individuals.
The Ghana AIDS Commission has distilled its core prescription into a clear public-health strategy: compassion must replace fear, and proactive testing and treatment must overcome silence and shame. By dismantling stigma at every level—from family homes to national discourse—Ghana can secure better health outcomes for PLHIV and uphold their fundamental rights to dignity, inclusion, and lifesaving care.
Source: Stigma, not HIV, is the real killer – Ghana AIDS Commission
