Dr. Atuahene estimates that Ghana needs 132 million to fight HIV each year.

Out of the $132 million, he claims that only $45.2 million comes from donors like the Global Fund and the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), leaving a support gap of around $86.8 million.

He made this announcement at a session yesterday in Accra organized by SEND Ghana to review and prioritize the focal country collaboration (FCC) project.

"You might believe that the $45.2 million in donor support is sufficient, but the cost of the HIV drugs, test kits, reagents, and other supplies is very high because they are produced outside of the country and we have to import them," he said.

Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene is the Ghana AIDS Commission's (GAC) director general.

He pleaded with all parties involved to help the GAC close the financing deficit in order to avoid running the risk of "reversing the gains that we have spent many years and resources in making."

Dr. Atuahene disclosed that the FCC Plan was a framework for collaboration involving PEPFAR/USAID, the Global Fund, UNAIDS, the Government of Ghana, and civil society organizations to eradicate stigma and prejudice in the nation.

According to him, HIV was still a significant public health issue in Ghana, thus it was important to uphold the Public Health and Human Rights approach to the delivery of HIV-related services with a primary focus on epidemic control and raising the standard of living in the nation.

He continued by saying that the GAC would use tactics like the complete facility approach to combat stigma and discrimination in healthcare facilities.

Together, let's create Ghana a place where there are no new AIDS infections, no AIDS fatalities, and no stigma or discrimination against those with the disease, he said.

According to Mr. Siapha Kamara, Chief Executive Officer of SEND Ghana, the FCC was created with the intention of decreasing stigma and prejudice against people who are HIV-positive and TB patients by enhancing coordination, collaboration, and planning with communities.

He made it seem as though the multidisciplinary solutions in the FCC Plan will be put into practice at the national, regional, district, community, and facility levels.

In accordance with input from national stakeholders, he continued, "The FCC Plan is a living document that needs to periodically prioritize activities or implementation."