HIV/AIDS Prevalence in Ghana
The virus that causes AIDS has already infected and is infecting many Ghanaians. By the end of 2003, close to 4 percent (3.6%) of the country’s adult population was estimated to be HIV-infected. This translates to about 395,000Ghanaians aged 15–49 years. Most of these people do not even know they carry the virus. From the mid-1980s when the epidemic began to the end of 2006, about 300,000 persons may have already developed AIDS, and about 168,000 may have died of AIDS-related causes even though all of these deaths were not officially recorded. Although the availability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug treatment could reduce the total number of persons who may die from AIDS, the cost of these drugs is still beyond the reach of many persons living with HIV (PLHIVs) in Ghana. The disease continues to be one of the most serious development issues in the country, which could likely have implications on achieving the goals of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) and on reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). More than 95 percent of the adult population aged 15–49 remains free of the infection, and all of these people have the opportunity to protect themselves from the disease.
The National Response
In 2006, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) began implementation of the second National Strategic Framework for 2006–2010 for HIV/AIDS in Ghana. The Framework is a jointly formed coordination tool, including a plan and budget for all the major HIV-related activities. Priorities for the year included women and young people; however, other people most likely to be exposed to HIV, such as injecting drug users and men who have sex with men, were given limited attention in this strategy.
Implementation of the “Three Ones” was further strengthened in 2006
- The Establishment of a Partnership Forum: The Partnership Forum strengthened the coordinating function of the GAC and is the highest national stakeholder forum; partners include the government, development partners, civil society organizations and academic and research institutions. The Forum promotes dialogue on programming and resource mobilization and encourages reports on the progress of the national response. Civil society organizations, such as faith-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations and people living with HIV, also have their own separate coordinating bodies that are represented in the Forum. For effective donor coordination on HIV-related activities, key donors have established a Sector Group. This has helped create joint positions within the national response and ensure effective engagement with the other major national development plans, such as the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
- Operalization of the second National Strategic Framework: Implementation of the 2006 Annual Programme of Work faced several challenges. Funding of activities in regions and districts was delayed because of late disbursement of pooled funds to the GAC. Projects funded directly by development partners also suffered delays, but for different reasons. Activities to expand antiretroviral therapy started late in the year and consequently targets for treating people living with HIV were met. However, as a result of heavy investments in training and infrastructure in 2006, the antiretroviral therapy scale-up is expected to take place in 2007.
- Development of a new Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework: The new M&E Framework is comprised of updated indicators and data collection mechanisms and tools, and the GAC is finalizing operational manuals on the monitoring and evaluation process. The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework was complemented in 2006 by the setting of universal access targets for 2006–2010. These targets were agreed upon through national stakeholder consultations.
The Private Sector Response
The Economy
As a result of its rich natural resource base, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Nevertheless, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 37% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 2006, Ghana received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant, which will assist the country to transform its agricultural export sector. The country’s total labor force is estimated at 10.87 million, and the rural and urban informal sectors account for 80% of this population.
National Private Sector Strategy
- According to the Ghana AIDS Commission’s website, the private sector is responsible for implementing the following elements of the country’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy:
Develop and implement policies and programs for the management of HIV/AIDS, in line with national policy guidelines. These will include the implementation of HIV/AIDS and STIs prevention education for workers, condom distribution, as well as protection of the rights of HIV-infected workers. - Mobilize local private sector financial and other resources for HIV/AIDS/STIs education of workers and related communities.
- Integrate HIV/AIDS/STIs into training courses for workers and managers where appropriate.
The Ministry for Employment and Manpower Development, the GAC and other stakeholders are currently working “to develop a comprehensive policy on employment related HIV/AIDS issues and institute measures to ensure compliance.”
The Ghana Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS
The Ghana Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (GBCAA) is a collaborating partner of the GAC charged with mobilizing the business community in response to the private sector component of the National Strategy against HIV/AIDS. The GBCAA was inaugurated on 26 July 2006. Before this time, HIV/AIDS workplace programs had remained uncoordinated and lacked sustainable technical support. In response to the need for a more harmonized private sector response, the GAC constituted a Working Group, which included representatives of national and multinational companies, to develop strategies for establishing a business coalition as a focal point for coordination of the business sector response. The participants of this Working Group became the members of the Interim Board of the GBCAA. The coalition plans to focus its activities on facilitating training sessions (including sessions for peer educators and company management staff), organizing forums and providing resource materials, such as best practices and sample HIV/AIDS policies, to its members.
Mission Objectives:
The objective of this initial private sector HIV/AIDS mission to Ghana was to begin a dialogue with the Ghana Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (GBCA), the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and other private sector stakeholders, including donors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on how to expand multi-sectoral partnerships in support of the Ghana National Agenda against HIV/AIDS. The discussions focused on the role of the private sector within the national strategy; ways to strengthen the management and service delivery capacity within the coalition; potential strategies to reach priority sectors (transport, agriculture, security, mining); opportunities to create linkages and leverage other technical and financial resources (multi-lateral and bilateral); and the role of civil society in enhancing public-private partnerships and access to services for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
The mission reviewed:
- Current private sector initiatives to address HIV/AIDS in Ghana;
- National legislation addressing HIV/AIDS in the workplace and the role of the private sector within the national strategy;
- Management capacity and activities of the GBCA coalition to engage the private sector; and
- Strategies for scaling up the private sector response including financial and technical support from donors and linkages to civil society service delivery.
Specifically, the mission was asked to:
- Engage the GBCA in an initial planning exercise to determine the strategic direction of the coalition (including strategies to mobilize private sector leadership, develop and implement member services, increase membership, communicate to members, monitor and evaluate activities, and sustain coalition activities); and
- Identify opportunities to leverage financial and technical resources to enhance private sector involvement and strengthen the private sector component of the national strategy.
Results
For information on the mission's results and findings, please contact a member of the CCA HIV/AIDS Initiative team
