Ghana Launches HIV Sustainability Roadmap to Secure Funding Beyond 2030 Target

Accra: A National HIV Response Sustainability Assessment and Roadmap (Part A) was launched in Accra to guide Ghana in securing long-term financing and achieving national ownership of its HIV response efforts. The roadmap aims to strengthen domestic resource mobilization as the country strives to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.According to Ghana News Agency, the roadmap was developed with technical guidance from UNAIDS and highlights key priorities. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, emphasized the need for Ghana to transition from relying on external funding to a nationally owned HIV response. She noted the progress made over two decades in reducing new HIV infections and providing treatment for those living with HIV.Dr. Lartey reaffirmed the government's commitment to promoting inclusivity, especially among women, children, and key populations facing threats and vulnerabilities. She stated her ministry's dedication to collaborating with the Ghana A ids Commission (GAC) and civil society organizations to ensure social protection interventions support individuals living with HIV.UNAIDS Country Director for Ghana, Mr. Hector Sucilla Perez, stated that the roadmap serves as a compass for navigating a challenging global financial landscape. International assistance for HIV has been declining while the demand for treatment, prevention, and social protection continues to grow. He emphasized the importance of ownership and strategic integration of HIV into national priorities to ensure sustainability.Mr. Perez highlighted the alignment of the roadmap with Ghana's broader political priorities, including the Accra Reset initiative, calling for innovative approaches to health and development financing. He underscored the necessity of sustainable financing to maintain access to testing, treatment, care, and prevention, and advocated for adopting new innovations such as pre-exposure prophylaxis with lenacapavir.Currently, Ghana faces a generalized HIV epidemic , with an estimated 334,000 people living with HIV in 2023, reflecting a 1.53 percent prevalence among adults aged 15-49. Data from GAC projects the number of people living with HIV in Ghana to be 334,721 in 2024, including 18,229 children under 15 and 316,492 adults aged 15 and above.Annual new infections have decreased from 21,000 in 2020 to 18,000 in 2023, and are expected to further decline to 15,290 in 2024. However, gaps in diagnosis and treatment initiation persist, as indicated by the treatment cascade results, which show a slight improvement from 67-69-89 in 2023 to 68-69-90 in 2024.Ghana's HIV response has historically depended on donor support, with 60 percent of funding from international partners such as the Global Fund and PEPFAR. However, declining external financing poses a challenge, exposing a $590 million funding gap between 2023 and 2030. Stakeholders indicate that meeting the 2030 targets will require approximately $258 million annually by the end of the decade, more than double the c urrent funding levels.