By Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey
Accra, Oct. 30, GNA – Ghana’s domestic funding for HIV prevention remains inadequate, with annual expenditure falling significantly below the estimated US$25.7 million required.
In 2024, domestic spending on HIV prevention was approximately US$400,000, leaving a substantial funding gap that could undermine efforts to prevent new infections and sustain progress in controlling the epidemic.
Mr John Eliasu Mahama, Acting Director of Policy and Planning at the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), said the shortfall raised concerns about the sustainability of the national HIV response as Ghana worked towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Speaking at the 15th National HIV and AIDS Partnership Forum in Accra, he said the country needed to mobilise additional domestic resources, strengthen public financing and explore alternative funding mechanisms to reduce its dependence on international development partners.
He said although Ghana had made considerable progress in financing its HIV response over the past two decades, prevention and the procurement of essential commodities remained vulnerable to funding shortfalls.
Presenting on the sustainability of the national HIV response and domestic resource mobilisation, Mr Mahama said expenditure on HIV programmes had increased from US$28.4 million in 2005 to US$125.2 million in 2025, representing more than a fourfold increase in nominal terms.
The highest expenditure of US$127.8 million was recorded in 2021.
Mr Mahama said international development partners continued to play a significant role in financing the response, underscoring the need for stronger domestic resource mobilisation.
“In 2025, public sector funding contributed approximately US$47.4 million, while private sector financing accounted for US$38.9 million. International sources contributed another US$38.9 million,” he said.
Mr Mahama said domestic public and private sources accounted for about 69 per cent of reported HIV expenditure, indicating growing domestic participation in financing the response.
He said the increase in overall expenditure should be considered alongside changes in programme coverage, expenditure classification, exchange rates and inflation.
Mr Maham said additional resources would be required to achieve Ghana’s HIV targets by 2030, with treatment accounting for the largest projected increase in funding needs.
Commodity requirements alone were expected to account for approximately 25 per cent of total HIV resource needs, with demand projected to more than double.
“The funding challenge is particularly important as Ghana seeks to achieve the 95-95-95 targets by 2030, under which 95 per cent of people living with HIV should know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed should receive antiretroviral therapy, and 95 per cent of those receiving treatment should achieve viral suppression,” he said.
Mr Mahama said the Commission had identified measures to strengthen the sustainability and national ownership of the HIV response.
“These include protecting and increasing government budgetary allocations for HIV programmes at both central and local government levels, strengthening the use of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), and integrating HIV services and commodities into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package,” he said.
Mr Mahama said the Government should also operationalise the National HIV and AIDS Fund through seed funding and increased public contributions.
He said the Commission had made progress since the 14th Partnership Forum, including the inauguration of a Resource Mobilisation Committee by the GAC Board to examine financing options and lead advocacy efforts.
Mr Mahama said the tracking of DACF disbursements and expenditure on HIV programmes had also been intensified, while guidelines for using the Fund’s allocations for HIV interventions were under review.
He said improved investment in antiretroviral therapy, HIV testing, condom programming and stigma reduction was critical to strengthening prevention efforts and achieving better outcomes from available resources.
“Closing the financing gap would require new domestic funding sources, better utilisation of existing resources and shared responsibility among government, the private sector, civil society and development partners,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey