Ghana AIDS Commission raises alarm over delay in clearing essential medications at ports

The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission has expressed serious concerns regarding the prolonged delays in clearing crucial healthcare medications, including vital anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), at the country's ports.

The situation has led to three containers containing HIV ARVs being stranded since June 2023, posing a significant risk of the virus spreading.

Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene emphasized the urgent need

Read full articlefor these medications, revealing that approximately 236 million containers of essential medicines funded by the Global Fund are stuck at the port, including 211 Malaria Test kits and Bed Nets.

This delay has not only strained the healthcare system but has also put individuals in need of these life-saving medications at risk.

In an interview on Citi News, Dr. Atuahene expressed dismay over the recurring nature of such incidents, stating, “I cannot see why we always wait for commodities to stay at the port for so long and attract the mortgage when, especially, we have custom bonded warehouses where these commodities can be moved immediately after arrival so we do not attract the charges. But the duty bearers who are supposed to ensure that this works and works very well are sleeping on the job.

“I’m sorry to put it that way. And it is so embarrassing for some of us that we continue to fail to do our work and put the country and the government in such a bad light in the sight of our development partners. It’s so bad. It shouldn’t happen.”

Dr. Atuahene called for improved collaboration with the private sector to secure financing for HIV response, citing the significant role played by the private sector in healthcare funding in many other African countries.

Dr. Atuahene identified the National Health Insurance as a primary funding source and emphasized the need to explore additional funding avenues, such as budgetary allocations outlined in Act 938.

He urged stakeholders to prioritize efficient and timely clearance of essential medications at the ports to avoid further risks to public health and ensure the uninterrupted supply of critical healthcare commodities.