Accra: Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a Deputy Chief of Staff, has urged that Ghana's HIV response be restructured within a sustainable domestic financing framework to ensure long-term health sovereignty. She emphasized that such a shift is crucial for achieving the country's objective of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Addo stressed the importance of a framework that embodies self-reliance, efficiency, equity, consistency, and innovation during the 14th National HIV and AIDS Partnership Forum in Accra. She called for increased collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, private sector actors, and traditional authorities to reorient national priorities.
Madam Addo highlighted the need for prioritizing prevention, reallocating budgets, fostering innovation, and unlocking domestic capital through effective governance and disciplined partnerships to end AIDS by 2030. She also encouraged the private sector, including pharmaceutical companies and researchers, to provide modern tools and innovations to bolster Ghana's HIV response, while urging community leaders and traditional authorities to promote responsible lifestyles and mitigate stigma.
She pointed out the significant decline in donor interest in HIV interventions since Ghana's first recorded case in 1986, underscoring the increased importance of domestic financing and innovation. Citing data from the Ghana AIDS Commission, Madam Addo revealed that over 334,000 people are currently living with HIV in Ghana, with women comprising 68 percent of this population. Additionally, in 2024, 12,614 individuals died from HIV or AIDS-related illnesses.
Madam Addo noted the abrupt withdrawal of a $78 million USAID health support package, which highlighted the vulnerability of Ghana's reliance on external aid. She commended ongoing government initiatives, such as the National HIV Response Sustainability Roadmap, the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative set to launch in January 2026, and the Ghana Medical Trust (Mahama Cares Initiative), which aim to expand health coverage for people living with HIV. These initiatives align with President John Dramani Mahama's Reset Agenda to develop a self-sustaining, data-driven, and resilient national health system.
Dr Kharmercelle Prosper Akanbong, Acting Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, stated that the forum serves as a strategic platform for accountability, coherence, and joint action. He noted progress made since the last forum, including the launch of the National HIV Response Sustainability Roadmap, Cabinet approval of the revised National HIV and Wellness Policy, and the creation of a new National HIV/TB-Related Human Rights Strategic Plan.
Dr Akanbong warned that domestic seed funding for the National HIV and AIDS Fund remains unresolved, and financing gaps continue to endanger the sustainability of the national response. He urged stakeholders to strengthen partnerships, support local production of HIV commodities, advance rights-based interventions, and intensify educational efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination.
Representatives from UNESCO, the Global Fund, NAP+ Ghana, and the Ghana Employers Association expressed solidarity, applauding Ghana's progress and pledging ongoing support for the national response.
