The Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, Emmanuel Teviu, has said the country’s current progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS was real but “it was rented and not owned”.

According to him, the country's current gains were due to donor support, but with the dwindling of such support, the country could fall into a health crisis if domestic funding was not vigorously pursued.

Quoting a UNAIDS modelling, which suggests that sustained funding disruptions could lead to up to 6.6 million additional HIV infections between 2025 and 2029 in the country, Dr Teviu said the time had come for the country to look at domestically financing its health needs.

Mr Teviu said this on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly in Accra, Ghana.

The side event organised by the Hope for Future Generation (HFFG) in collaboration with the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) Africa, a regional civil society network advocating sustainable health, on the theme “Building Health Sovereignty: Local Manufacturing, Sustainable Financing and Community Leadership for Health in Africa,” brought together civil society organisations, health experts and other stakeholders to advance sustainable domestic health financing.

Dr Teviu, who was part of a panel discussion, called for increased domestic financing and local pharmaceutical manufacturing to strengthen Africa’s health system as donor support was declining.

The Director, External Relations, Global Fund, Francoise Vanni, said the fund was ready to support Ghana and Africa as a whole to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

She said almost 79 per cent of the fund's $12.6b for the next two years was to fight against these three diseases in Africa, saying although it had limited funds, its coverage was wide.

She said the fund's mission was to remain reliable and responsible as countries find their own paths to health sovereignty.

Dr Henry Nagai, Member, Ghana Country Coordinating Mechanism (GCCM), said the country needed to optimise its resources by mobilising domestic resources and technical experts to help leverage its capabilities.

The Member of Parliament for Garu, Dr Thomas Anabah, called for prudent use of resources by CSOs, saying they should use the money for real work.

Nana Agyeibea II, Akwamu-Kotropeihemaa, called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and other bodies to use appropriate local dialects to educate communities on disease to ensure their understanding and total acceptance.

A CSO representative, Mac-Darling Cobbinah, called for an increase in community leadership, saying they were the backbone of HIV and other health responses.

The Director, Allied Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Ignatius A. Awinibuno, called for a re-orientation in health prevention as a country, which he said was the key to universal health care.