News:
April 24, 2026
Samuel Nartey George, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, has sharply criticised the Ghana AIDS Commission for distributing lubricants to men who have sex with men (MSM), arguing the practice contradicts the agency’s core mission to combat HIV.
Speaking on Friday during committee-stage deliberations on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, the Ningo-Prampram lawmaker said resources for such interventions should instead be directed toward maternal healthcare.
“We have evidence of Ghana AIDS Commission officers meeting with pro-LGBTQ groups and giving them lubricants. If the Ghana AIDS Commission is supposed to fight HIV, why are you giving lubricants to men to have anal sex with men?” George told Parliament.
He rejected the Commission’s explanation that the lubricants serve as a harm-reduction measure to prevent HIV transmission among those already infected.
“And the excuse given is that these are people who already have HIV, and so they don’t want them to spread it. So they are giving them lubricants. That in itself is an activity that continues to perpetuate anal sex between men,” he said.
The lead sponsor of the bill argued that public health funding should prioritise more urgent needs, such as maternal care.
“If they really want to fund public health, they should go and give maternal beds for women who do not have beds for delivery. This one, we won’t open the door,” he added.
The Ghana AIDS Commission has yet to publicly respond to the criticism. Its standard HIV prevention strategy has previously included targeted interventions for key populations, including MSM, as part of Ghana’s National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan.
Ghanamps.com