The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s renewed commitment to addressing the funding gap created by the USAID 90-day funding freeze.
In a statement signed by the President, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, the network described the President’s pledge, reiterated during his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), as “reassuring and therapeutic” for persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ghana.
GHANET noted that this was the third time in two weeks that President Mahama had assured the nation of his government’s commitment to mitigating the impact of the funding shortfall, which threatened the country’s health sector, particularly HIV and AIDS programmes.
Antiretroviral (ARV) shortages
The GHANET also raised concerns over a potential stockout of life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) medications if the government was forced to fully finance ARV procurement.
Its fear was further exacerbated by previous delays in clearing donated ARVs from the country’s ports, a situation that left many PLHIV anxious about their treatment.
Data
According to data from the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), as of December 2023, only 151,000 PLHIV were receiving treatment—less than half of the estimated 334,000 people living with HIV in the country. GHANET emphasized that more needs to be done to ensure all PLHIV receive proper care and life-saving medication.
Short-term proposal
GHANET is urging the government to operationalise the National HIV and AIDS Fund (NHAF) to ensure sustainable domestic financing for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The fund was initially introduced under the Mahama administration in 2016 as part of amendments to the Ghana AIDS Commission Act (Act 938).
However, the initiative stalled after a change in government in 2017, and efforts to revive it over the past eight years have failed.
GHANET also lamented that the lack of funding had crippled awareness campaigns that previously targeted schools, communities, religious institutions, and public spaces.
The result, it noted, had been a new generation of young Ghanaians with little to no knowledge of HIV and AIDS, contributing to the country recording 17,700 new infections and 12,500 AIDS-related deaths in 2023.
“GHANET believes that reviving the NHAF will help complement international funding, such as support from the Global Fund, and ensure continuous access to ARVs and other essential HIV services,” the statement said.
Medium-term proposal
As a medium-term solution, GHANET is advocating for local production of ARVs and other essential HIV-related commodities such as condoms, lubricants, and test kits.
It noted that the country had had the capacity to manufacture ARVs since 2005, and leveraging that existing infrastructure could ensure a stable domestic supply while creating an opportunity to export ARVs to other West African countries.
Call for action
GHANET has called on the Ministers of Finance and Health to ensure that President Mahama’s commitment is reflected in the 2025 budget.
It further urged the government to align with the Abuja Declaration (2001), which requires African nations to allocate at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to the health sector.
