“I Found My Voice Online”: Youth Stories and the Call to Bridge the Digital Divide in Ghana’s HIV Response
By NAP+ Ghana Editorial
"When I got diagnosed with HIV, I didn’t know who to talk to. It was on social media that I found someone like me—young, positive, and thriving. That saved my life." – Ama, 22, Accra
Ama’s story is the reality for many young people living with HIV in Ghana—navigating stigma, loneliness, and silence, until they stumble upon a digital lifeline. For Ama, the internet became a window to hope. But for many others, the digital divide remains a wall—blocking access to critical information, peer support, and even life-saving services.
On May 29, 2025, the Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+ Ghana) officially launched its Digital Health and Rights Project alongside the research report titled “Paying the Cost of Connection: Human Rights of Young Adults in the Digital Age in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam.” Held in Accra, the event brought together partners, stakeholders, UN bodies, civil society organisations, and youth digital rights advocates, all united in their call for a more inclusive, youth-centred HIV response.
The findings from the Ghana chapter of the report are striking: despite the increasing relevance of technology in young people’s lives, the national HIV response is yet to fully harness the potential of digital tools to support them, especially those living with or most affected by HIV.
Delivering a solidarity message, Hector Sucilla Perez, Country Director of UNAIDS Ghana, emphasised the urgency of bridging the digital gap.
“This project reveals a critical truth: access to technology is access to health, rights, and equality. When young people are excluded from the digital space, they are excluded from life-saving opportunities.”
The report, supported by Fondation Botnar, presents alarming challenges faced by young people in Ghana, including: Limited or no access to mobile data and devices, especially among low-income and rural youth. Digital illiteracy and poor knowledge of online safety, leaving young key populations vulnerable. High exposure to online stigma, discrimination, and digital surveillance, discouraging open engagement. Lack of targeted youth-centered digital content on HIV prevention, mental health, and rights.
Susanna Hausmann, speaking on behalf of Fondation Botnar, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to elevating youth voices globally. “We believe in a world where young people are not passive users of technology but active shapers of it. This report shows us where we’re failing them—and how we must act together to ensure no young person is left behind.”
The launch also featured solidarity remarks from prominent youth and civil society leaders. Phinehas Ayeh, Director of KP+ Ghana, spoke to the vulnerability of digital exclusion: “Young key populations already face barriers offline. Online should be a safe space, but it often replicates the same stigma, or worse. We must build systems that protect, not punish.”
Watara Yahya, Director of the Network of Young Key Populations, highlighted the importance of digital empowerment: “We must move beyond awareness to action. Digital tools are how we connect, learn, heal, and mobilize. If young people aren’t included in designing these tools, we’re repeating the same mistakes in a new format.”
From heartfelt testimonies to bold data, the report is a wake-up call to stakeholders across Ghana’s health and technology sectors. But it is also a testament to the strength of young people—many of whom contributed their stories through focus groups, interviews, and youth-led research under the guidance of trained Ghana Community Advisory Team (G-CAT) members.
Dr. Derrick Oppong Agyare, Deputy Director of Programmes at the Ghana AIDS Commission, called for greater inclusion of young people in decision-making processes:
“If we are to end HIV as a public health threat, then the tools and spaces where young people live their lives—especially digital spaces—must be central to our response. This research gives us the evidence. Now, we must act on it.”
As Ghana continues its path toward universal health access and the 2030 goals, this project reminds us that a digitally connected future is meaningless unless it is also inclusive, equitable, and rights-based.
“We are not just launching a report,” said Richard Agodzo, Youth Coordinator for the project. “We are launching a movement—a youth-powered demand for justice, health, and digital inclusion.”
The cost of connection should never be one’s health, safety, or dignity. With this report and the voices behind it, NAP+ Ghana and its partners are making sure that Ghana’s young people are not just part of the conversation—they’re leading it.
Great initiative.
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