The Minority in Parliament wants the government to grant tax exemption waivers for the immediate clearance of anti-retroviral drugs and other medical equipment at the ports.
This is expected to ease the financial burden on Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) whose survival depends on the medications.
The Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+ Ghana), in an earlier statement, disclosed that Ghana is currently experiencing a shortage of anti-retroviral medication, precisely the Abacavir Lamivudine regimen for Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) across the country.
The Abacavir Lamivudine regimen is one of the many regimens that PLHIV needs daily to attain viral suppression, keep healthy and productive, and, in so doing, enable the country to reduce new HIV infections and end AIDS by 2030.
A release signed by the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on October 6, said: “The Minority in Parliament finds it an unconscionable gross dereliction of duty that government officials in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance will leave, since July 2023, donated containers of HIV anti-retroviral drugs at the ports creating needless shortages for Persons Living with HIV”.
According to the Minority, they would not “sit aloof and let government plunge us all into needless danger.”
“If unchecked, [this] could lead to an increase in the prevalence rate of HIV in Ghana, increase in morbidity and mortality for Persons Living with HIV, and increase the overall cost of HIV management in Ghana”.
“The health and well-being of Ghanaians are non-negotiable, and we urge the government to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this crisis,” the statement highlighted.
The Minority also called for an automated tax exemption waiver system for medical consumables and equipment to curtail needless delays in clearing such items at the port.
The Minority further requested that the Finance Ministry institute reforms at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to eradicate systemic failures that lead to needless delays in performing its functions.
Find the full statement from the Minority below.
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