The Minority in Parliament has demanded the immediate issuance of tax exemption waivers and clearance of donated antiretroviral drugs at the ports.
“The Minority in Parliament finds it unconscionable gross dereliction of duty that government officials in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance will leave, since July 2023, donated containers of HIV anti-retroviral drugs at the ports creating needless shortages for Persons Living with HIV.
“Ghana’s National HIV and AIDS Programme is challenged on several fronts but key amongst them is funding and lack of commitment by the Akufo-Addo government, in particular, to prioritize the eradication of HIV/AIDS although the First Lady serves as an Ambassador of the Ghana AIDS Commission,” the ranking member on Health Committee in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh stated in a press release.
He continued: “Funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in Ghana has largely been shouldered by donor partners with government making contributions in the form of maintenance of the Ghana AIDS Commission and paying counterpart funds in co-financing agreements with donor partners.”
According to him, there have however been gaps in funding programmes such as educational campaigns and treatment.
“These funding gaps have increased due in part to government’s lack of commitment to the HIV/AIDS fight as a whole,” he stated.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
