People living with HIV in Ghana are expressing deep concern as health officials begin to ration anti-retroviral drugs that are essential for their well-being.
There are reports that the supply of medications is rapidly depleting and is expected to be completely exhausted by May if no action is taken.
President of the National Association of Persons Living with HIV, Elsie Ayeh, has raised alarm over the situation, highlighting that a consignment of ARVs procured by the Health Ministry cannot be accounted for, leading to suspicions that it may have been lost or misappropriated.
She further explained that the last supply of antiretroviral medication was received in October 2023. Despite expectations of a new supply between mid-December and the end of December 2023, no additional medication arrived as planned, exacerbating the current shortage.
“As I sit here, those ARVs have not arrived. In fact, they cannot be traced. Usually, when they are procured, you know, they are on the high seas; they are at the harbor waiting to be brought out and waiting to be cleared; this is a complete blackout on information”.
As a result, there have been reports of rationing of anti-retroviral drugs meant to sustain people living with HIV.
Furthermore, Mrs. Ayeh highlighted delays in releasing malaria commodities, including malaria medicine that arrived at the port in May 2023. She emphasized the critical need for timely distribution, particularly as malaria cases typically surge during the rainy season.
Among the items awaiting distribution are bed nets for malaria prevention and test kits for the early detection of malaria.
“And then injections; sometimes you are given the medications, the tablets, but then when the quantity of the MP is so high, you are given injections; those injections are also stuck at the port, that is, for malaria; the 200 containers stuck at the harbor contain mainly malaria commodities.”
On the other hand, Dr. Stephen Kyeremeh Atuahene, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, has refuted claims that a consignment of antiretrovirals procured by the Health Ministry cannot be traced.
“I am aware that the government procured ARV to fill the gap at least starting from May and if we do not receive government-procured ARV, that is when we begin to have shortage but presently, I cannot anticipate any shortage as being alleged and then speak to it specifically,” he said.