The Ministry of Health has refuted allegations that the locked containers from the Global Fund at Tema port contain essential medications for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS treatment.
This denial comes after concerns were raised by health-focused civil society organizations (CSOs) regarding potential negative consequences from the Global Fund, which has threatened to withdraw its support to Ghana if the containers are not cleared swiftly.
In response to the CSOs’ claims that the drugs inside the containers are deteriorating at the port, Isaac Offei Baah, the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, clarified that the locked containers primarily contain mosquito nets and not TB or HIV/AIDS medications.
He emphasized that the Ministry remains firm on this clarification amid the ongoing controversy.
“I want to put it on record that we have mosquito nets, and we don’t have anything like HIV drugs or TB drugs [locked up at the port].”
“Once it is something that has been given to the people of Ghana, we are working towards getting them out and putting them to good use.”
“So for clarity sake, we don’t have any HIV drugs locked up at the port that we have not cleared. All those ones were cleared somewhere last April,” he said.