Ghana makes $1m pledge to Global Fund
The government of Ghana has pledged $1 million to the Global Fund Replenishment, as its contribution towards the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Mr Alexander K. K. Abban, the Deputy Minister of Health, announced this at the World AIDs Day national durbar in Accra.
He said the government was cognisant of the fact that the fight against HIV and AIDS could be won by a concerted global effort.
The government’s pledge would bring much relief for members of the Non-State Actors in Health, Ghana (NSA-Ghana), who had been appealing for government’s contribution to the Global Fund just as countries like Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cameroon, Congo and the Central African Republic had done.
Ghana’s pledge and fulfilment would also ensure that the country benefits fully from the Global Fund package, the NSA-Ghana has argued.
In October, this year, many countries in global solidarity pledged $14.02 billion for the next three years towards the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment at a conference hosted by the French Government in Lyon.
The amount is said to be the largest ever raised for a multilateral health organisation, and for that matter, the largest amount to the Global Fund.
The Fund is said to help save 16 million lives and end the AIDS epidermic, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
Mr Abban said in addition, the Government had procured key commodities such as Antiretrovirals (ARVs), test kits and condoms to complement partners’ contributions.
A new tender for more ARVs had also just been launched while the Food and Drugs Authority had released almost five million condoms for allocation to implementing agencies.
Other innovative technologies such as the Ghana Integrated Logistics Management and Information System and Electronic Tracking of ARVs clients were being deployed to enhance visibility and follow up of clients.
The theme for this year’s World AIDs Day is: “Communities Make the Difference – Help End AIDs,” and Ghana celebrated the Day with a month-long of activities including HIV screening, health education, and other media and community engagements.
Source: GNA