The Global Fund has suspended the shipment of critical medical supplies to Ghana, citing delays in clearing previous donations stuck at the Tema Port.
It will be recalled that a board member of the Global Fund in March 2024 revealed in an interview that a bulk of the drugs have been confined at the Tema Port since October 2023, awaiting clearance from the government.
The drugs, he says, are expiring while under lock and key at a time when patients are in dire need of the medications.
“The Global Fund has supported Ghana, and they (medications) are still there at the ports. About 300 commodities for TB, HIV, and malaria [are locked at the ports] because there is no money to clear them,” one of the board members noted at that time.
In the latest development, the fund has revealed that it will no longer export antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients as well as notable drugs for the treatment of TB and malaria to Ghana.
The Africa Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis (ACHPR&A) has expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to expedite the release of the donated supplies at the Tema Port.
Dr. Thomas Anaba, Executive Director of ACHPR&A in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on JoyNews strongly criticized the government’s slack approach in addressing the issue of clearing vital health commodities.
Dr. Anaba emphasized the urgent nature of the situation, noting that even a visit from a delegation of the Global Fund did not yield immediate results.
The Ghana AIDS Commission and a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) focusing on HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria have also expressed worry over the issue of the government’s failure to clear the medications at the port.
Meanwhile, the CSOs have threatened to protest on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, if the vital commodities are not cleared.
READ ALSO: Looming Shortage Of HIV, Malaria, TB Drugs As Medications Remain Confined At Tema Port
“A 12-member delegation from the Global Fund paid a working visit to this country to follow up on the locked-up commodities. Despite all their efforts, they did not make any headway and the commodities remain uncleared at the ports.”
“They have therefore indicated that Ghana risks losing all Global Fund Support if the government fails to act on the matter. To start with, they have already suspended all commodity shipments to the country until the ones at the ports are cleared”.
“This development has dire consequences for the hundreds of thousands of our compatriots on free medications donated by Global Fund” Dr. Anaba noted.
The Global Fund is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to attract, leverage, and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria to support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.