The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene, has said that donor funding for HIV response in Ghana may be suspended if Parliament passes the Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill.
He told Parliament’s committee holding a public hearing on the bill that funding for Ghana’s HIV response is largely dependent on funding from donors.
The commissioner therefore espoused that any attempt to criminalize the activities of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons in the country will have dire consequences for Ghana’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
Speaking in a Joy News interview monitored by Angelonline.com.gh, he said that “donor funding for the HIV response covers HIV and TB services for men who have sex with men and transgenders. Donors will withdraw funding if they are criminalized by this bill. HIV program is largely funded by donors and their withdrawal of this funding will certainly jeopardize the HIV response”.
“These health services have nothing to do with the activities the bill seeks to proscribe but may be construed to be if the bill is passed in its current form”, he argued further.
According to The Guardian Newspaper, Norway and Denmark both suspended aid to Uganda after it passed an anti-gay law.
“Once regarded as an example of enlightened African leadership, Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, is currently something of an international pariah. His decision to sign a bill into law that imposes harsh penalties for homosexuality has resulted in cuts to the country’s generous aid budget”, it reported.
Reacting to this, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council said that the AIDS Commission is making such an argument to safeguard their sources of funding.
Apostle Ofori Kuruagu of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council noted that “I am not surprised…they were not on either side…they have a lot to protect, their purse appears to be affected”.
The anti-LGBTQI+ bill has become a contentious subject in Ghana with majority of the population proposing its passage into bill while others espouse arguments to reject it.
A number of Church Leaders have stormed Parliament to present to its leadership memos in support of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill pending before it for consideration and passage into law.
A number of Church Leaders which were led by the leadership of the Church of Pentecost presented about 15 memos with over 15,000 signatories to the leadership of Parliament to offer support to the bill.
