Story by: Fati Ali Wehyemeh
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has held a media engagement in Accra to address rising HIV cases in Ghana and strengthen collaboration with the media to promote nationwide awareness, prevention, and treatment.
The briefing, held on December 2, 2025, brought together senior officials from AHF’s global leadership.
Regional Advocacy and Policy Manager, Madam Diana Tibesigwa, underscored the scale of the global challenge, noting: “Last year alone, over 600,000 people died from HIV-related illnesses. HIV is still killing many people around the world, and we must act faster.” She emphasised the need for accessible testing and treatment, adding: “People must be aware, get tested, get treated, and stay safe—especially our young people.”
AHF’s Vice Global Chair, Ambassador Angelina C. Wapakabulo, shared lessons from Uganda’s market-based HIV clinics. She recalled: “Many organizations came to the markets and said, ‘We can’t do anything here because of the disorder.’ But AHF said, ‘This is where we must be.’” Highlighting the “Mama Moga” intervention, she added: “These market women could simply ask a neighbor to watch their goods and rush to the clinic. It saved lives.” She expressed optimism for Ghana, saying: “We want to build youth-friendly services and reduce the stigma young people face when seeking HIV care.”
Executive Vice President for Global Programs, Dr. Penninah Iutung, outlined AHF’s global reach: “AHF is now in 50 countries and we care for more than 2.7 million patients worldwide. Ghana is our newest program, and we are here to partner with government to expand services.”
AHF’s Executive Director for Global Public Health, Dr. George Saavedra, called for fair global health agreements, arguing: “Developing countries share information about outbreaks, but richer nations keep vaccines or sell them at high prices. That is not fair.” He added: “Africa’s strong coordination through Africa CDC is something the world must learn from. We are here to support South–South collaboration in HIV, monkeypox, and future pandemics.”
AHF leaders expressed confidence in Ghana’s renewed commitment to healthcare under President John Dramani Mahama, stressing that accelerated collaboration will be vital to reducing HIV infections and improving public health outcomes.
