The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation and Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has sharply criticised the Ghana AIDS Commission over what he describes as a misplaced public health priority, specifically the distribution of lubricants to men who have sex with men.
Speaking during parliamentary deliberations on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025 on Friday, April twenty third, Mr George argued that such interventions should instead be redirected toward strengthening maternal healthcare systems across the country.
As the lead sponsor of the bill, he questioned the rationale underpinning the Commission’s strategy, contending that it appears inconsistent with its core mandate of combating the spread of HIV. According to him, evidence suggests that officials of the Commission have engaged with advocacy groups and supplied materials that, in his view, contradict efforts to reduce transmission.
“We have indications that officers of the Commission have interacted with advocacy groups and provided lubricants. If the institution is tasked with fighting HIV, why would it supply materials that facilitate such activities?” he queried, expressing strong reservations about the approach.
Mr George further dismissed the justification that these resources are intended to minimise the spread of HIV among already affected populations. He argued that this reasoning fails to address what he considers the broader implications of such interventions.
“The explanation offered is that these individuals are already living with HIV and the aim is to prevent further transmission. However, providing such materials, in my view, only sustains the very practices in question,” he asserted.
He maintained that public health resources should be channelled into areas he considers more urgent, particularly maternal and neonatal care, where infrastructural deficits continue to affect outcomes.
“If there is a genuine commitment to improving public health, then investments should be directed toward essential needs such as providing adequate beds for women during childbirth. That is where the priority should lie,” he stated firmly.
The comments come amid ongoing national debate surrounding the bill, which has generated significant discussion across legal, human rights, and public health domains. The position advanced by Mr George reflects a broader policy argument about how limited health resources should be allocated, even as stakeholders continue to weigh the balance between preventive health strategies and competing developmental priorities.
