Mr. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, the Mayor of Kumasi, has pledged to lead a vigorous advocacy to reverse increasing cases of HIV in the metropolis.

According to the 2025 HIV estimates released by the Ghana AIDS Commission, the city had 7,582 people living with HIV, with 267 new infections.

The mayor made the pledge at the inauguration of a nine-member Metropolitan AIDS Committee with a mandate to drive down HIV/AIDS in the metropolis.

He said: “The figures for Kumasi are worrying.

“As Mayor, it is my responsibility to speak out against this challenge so that our city is not remembered for HIV/AIDS.”

Mr. Agyeman Boadi stressed the need to intensify public education, particularly among young people, whom he described as a vulnerable group in the fight against new infections, and committed to leading the charge against the spread of the disease in the metropolis.

Madam Olivia Graham, the Technical Coordinator of Ghana AIDS Commission in the Ashanti region, inaugurating the Committee, urged them to work assiduously to bring prevalence rates down.

She disclosed that the Ashanti Region recorded 2,852 new HIV infections in 2025, placing it second only to Greater Accra nationwide, a trend she described as worrying.

Madam Graham called on members of the Metropolitan AIDS Committee to work together to reverse the situation and ensure a coordinated response to the city’s HIV challenge.