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Let’s avert shortage of anti-retroviral drugs

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Until the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic late last year, HIV/AIDS was regarded as the world’s worst epidemic humanity had ever faced.

Many countries and its citizens endured devastating long-term socio-economic and personal impacts and in some cases the disease became a major obstacle to development.

AIDS is caused by HIV, a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. The virus destroys CD4+ T cells, a type of white blood cell that is vital to fighting off infection.

AIDS is treated with antiretroviral drugs. These drugs suppress HIV but do not completely eliminate the virus from the body.

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Health experts were alarmed initially because of its devastating effect on human beings and said then that, the “exceptionalism” of the disease required “exceptionalism” in the response.

So, the then UN General Assembly meeting on HIV/AIDS in New York, on September 22, 2003, WHO Director General Jong-Wook Lee, requested that the disease be treated as a global health emergency and called for implementation of free HIV/AIDS treatment in resource-poor settings.

“Given the nature of the AIDS epidemic, providing free treatment should be imperative even if it cannot be applied to all diseases or all in need,” he said

Since then, anti-retroviral agents remained the cornerstone of HIV treatment and prevention and all HIV-infected individuals with detectable plasma virus presently receive treatment with recommended initial regimens.

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Today, there have been substantial advances in the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for the treatment, progression as well as prevention of HIV infection disease.

So, globally, people are living longer with anti-retroviral drugs medications which help the body fight off life threatening infections.

However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, it appears the world’s attention is now focussed on the ensuing pandemic to the neglect of other diseases.

Consequently, many countries including Ghana are facing shortage of Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) for the treatment of Persons Living with HIV (PLHIVs), according to Health and Development Non-Governmental Organiations in Ghana.

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According to them, out of a target population of 193,901 PLHIVs who were supposed to be put on the ARVs treatment, only 173,000 were currently benefiting from the treatment due to the non availability of the drugs at designated health facilities across the country.

The spokesperson of the group, Mrs Cecelia Senoo, said “70,000 packs of the ARVs which were expected to be procured by government with delivery in December last year, have still not arrived. “

Without adequate access to their life saving medicines, she said, PLHIVs risk developing drug resistance that could also lead to potential deaths.

Mrs Senoo described the situation as dire and advised the government to take urgent steps to avert a looming disaster.

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We must state clearly that we acknowledge the challenges facing the government in the midst of COVID-19 and the competing demands facing the nation. We as well cannot fail to recognise the obstacles to effective health care in the country.

However, we add our voice to the call for urgent and adequate supply ARVs to provide treatment to PLHIVs to assist them to gain greater access to, remain adherent to, and avoid instability in treatment regimens.

We also urge that the country avert at all times shortage of the ARVs in order not to jeopardise the treatment programme of the nation.

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Dr Bawumia becomes new leader of New Patriotic Party ahead of 2028 elections

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Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has become the new leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after delegates approved a constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader.

The amendment was approved on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

The decision makes Dr Bawumia the leader of the NPP as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections, having earlier been elected as its presidential candidate.

The change was contained in one of 14 constitutional amendments presented to delegates by the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee.

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The amendments were approved through a voice vote, with delegates responding in favour of the motions.

The latest amendment reverses a provision approved at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which made the National Chairman the leader of the party at all material times.

The approved amendment provides for the flagbearer to assume the leadership of the party when the NPP wins an election and the flagbearer becomes President.

The amendment also reinstates the President as a member of the National Executive Committee when the party is in government.

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The Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, explained that the amendments were necessary to address gaps identified in the party’s previous constitutional review.

The constitutional amendments formed the first part of the conference before delegates proceeded to elect new national executives.

A total of 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions participated in the conference, with voting conducted at 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.

The Electoral Commission supervised the elections and verified delegates.

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Other approved amendments include changes to the election of Vice Chairpersons, allowing candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions instead of being ranked according to the number of votes they receive.

Delegates approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the Information Technology Officer to an executive position.

Addressing delegates after the constitutional amendments and as the party prepared for the national executive elections, Dr Bawumia called for unity and peaceful voting.

He urged the 47 aspirants contesting nine national positions to accept the outcome of the elections and continue working together for the party.

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“Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family,” he told the delegates.

Dr Bawumia congratulated all the aspirants for putting themselves forward to serve the party and urged those who won to reach out to their fellow contestants.

He assured those who lost that the party would still need their experience and contribution.

The NPP flagbearer further reflected on the party’s reorganisation since the December 2024 general elections, saying the party had listened to its grassroots members and learnt lessons about its organisation, communication and engagement with supporters.

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He noted that the party had elected its structures from the polling station to the regional level and had also begun preparations towards its next programme for government.

Dr Bawumia said his early election as the party’s presidential candidate had allowed him and the party to begin work on policy development ahead of the 2028 campaign.

He said various policy committees had been established and engagements with different groups and stakeholders were ongoing.

Turning to national issues, Dr Bawumia used his address to criticise the government over what he described as failures to fulfil several campaign promises.

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He specifically questioned the progress of the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, the women’s development bank, electricity tariffs, the cost of transportation and other economic challenges facing households and businesses.

On the economy, he defended the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, arguing that the programme introduced under the previous NPP administration had contributed to stability in the Ghanaian currency.

Dr Bawumia further criticised the government over the stalled implementation of projects including Agenda 111 and raised concerns about the management of the Free Senior High School programme.

He addressed recent drug seizures involving consignments traced to Ghana, calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate how such shipments were able to leave the country.

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On the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, he accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to tackle the problem and restore polluted water bodies.

He criticised the government over promises relating to cocoa prices, teacher and nurse postings, the teacher licensure examination and payments to customers of collapsed financial institutions.

These claims formed part of Dr Bawumia’s political assessment of the NDC government’s performance and were presented by him as reasons why the NPP should return to government.

He accused the government of what he described as the “weaponization of state power” and alleged that different standards of justice were being applied to government supporters and opposition figures.

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Dr Bawumia said the NPP would, if returned to power, pursue what he described as one standard of justice for all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

He ended his address by urging the incoming national executives to build a strong party organisation, focus on holding the government to account and communicate the party’s policies to Ghanaians.

The NPP’s new leadership structure and national executive team will now oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations towards the 2028 general elections.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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I’ll unite NPP for Bawumia’s 2028 victory- Titus Glover

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Newly elected National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, has pledged to work to ensure peace, unity and respect within the party as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.

Mr Glover said he would work to strengthen the party and help actualise the vision of its flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, becoming President of Ghana in 2028.

He made the remarks in his victory speech at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi after winning the NPP National Organiser position at the party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Mr Glover polled 2,964 votes to win the election, defeating his closest contender, Ali Maiga Halidu, who obtained 2,231 votes.

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Emmanuel Korsi Bodja polled 145 votes in the contest.

Mr Glover thanked delegates for electing him and promised to work hard to justify the confidence they had placed in him.

“I will work very hard. What I’ll bring is peace, unity, respect, and that we use for governance,” he said.

He explained that peace, unity and respect were necessary for the party to effectively organise and prepare for the elections.

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“If you are doing governance and you don’t bring peace and unity and respect, the work will be hard,” he added.

Mr Glover acknowledged the task ahead of the newly elected national executives, describing it as a major responsibility that would require commitment from members.

“The job is big. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We need love. We need peace. We need unity,” he said.

He urged members of the NPP to remain united and work together beyond the internal elections.

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According to him, his focus would be to contribute to the party’s efforts to win the 2028 general elections, with Dr Bawumia’s presidential bid forming a central part of that objective.

“Dr Bawumia has to become the President of this country. That’s the vision for NPP, that we have to work hard for Dr Bawumia to become the President of the Republic,” Mr Glover stated.

He said he was determined to use his new position to contribute to the development of the NPP and Ghana.

Mr Glover’s election forms part of the new national executive team elected by delegates at the conference to lead the affairs of the party.

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The newly elected executives are expected to oversee the party’s reorganisation and strengthen its structures as the NPP prepares for the 2028 general elections.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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