There is growing pressure on Ghana to secure alternative sources of funding for the con­trol and management of HIV due to the United States foreign aid funding cuts.

The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, made this disclosure on Friday at the second International Steering Committee meeting held in Accra.

It formed part of preparations for Ghana to host the 23rd Inter­national Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) scheduled for December 3-8, 2025 and expected to attract over 12,000 partici­pants from different backgrounds, including healthcare profession­als, policy makers, scientists, and civil society organisations.

Dr Akanbong explained that with the huge number of patients with the virus, it would be im­portant for government to find alternative sources of funding to avert what could be a calamity.

According to him, “The issue of sustainability has been on the table for some time, but with likely reductions in U.S. support, we must act quickly. African governments need to build finan­cial resilience and present strong investment cases to maintain our programmes,” he stated.

He described Ghana’s hosting of ICASA as a major step in the country’s HIV response.

“For the first time, Ghana is hosting ICASA. As the local or­ganising committee, we have a number of responsibilities. We’re expected to provide scholarships for about 500 young health work­ers and students. We also have to make sure venues such as the Accra International Conference Centre were ready,” he men­tioned.

Dr Akanbong further noted that beyond its public health value, the conference would also have economic and research benefits, adding that “this is an opportuni­ty to showcase Ghana’s progress in HIV response and to position the country more visibly in global health discussions.”

The president of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) and Chair of International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA), Dr David Pagwesese Parirenyatwa, also called on Africans to wake up to the challenge of strengthen­ing health systems on the conti­nent.

He said the continent cannot continue to rely on donor funding but must now look inward to find other avenues to prioritise the health of its people.

He said the continent had de­pended on donor funds for far too long which poses a security risk.

“This is a wakeup call, we can­not continue to rely on American aid. We must begin to mobilise our own resources from oil, gold, platinum and other natural re­sources,” he stated.

Prof. Muhammad Chakron, Vice President of the Society for AIDS in Africa, said ICASA 2025 comes at a time when global health funding is under strain.

He urged African countries to increase their investments in HIV, TB, malaria, and health research.

“This is necessary to keep making progress, and we expect it to be thoroughly discussed at the upcoming conference,” he added.

 By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu

 Ghana has been urged to increase the number of Electric Vehicle charging stations in the country to correspond with the increased number of electric vehicles in the country.

Currently there are only seven electric vehi­cle charging stations in the country, despite the increasing number of electric vehicles, a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed.

Titled “Market Opportunity Study Report of EV Charging Stations in Ghana,” the report said as the country advances towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, the transport sector remained a key area for transformation.

The 28-page report also revealed that despite the significant market potential for EVs, all seven public charging stations were located in Accra, whilst the remaining regions had none.

Speaking at the launch of the report yesterday in Accra, the consultant of the report, Dr Godwin Ayetor, said looking at Ghana’s power challeng­es, there was a need for stakeholders to urgently adopt sustainable measures to address our energy challenges.

He noted that most of the EV charging stations had broken down due to power fluctuation chal­lenges, as well as a lack of skilled people to install and maintain these charging stations as investors run at a loss.

“I will say the challenges we are facing here are international, not unique to Ghana, and as we have been resilient with other issues, I believe that you will be able to overcome, especially with UNDP having an electric vehicle.

Another challenge is that most mechanics are engine mechanics. Now EVs do not have en­gines, and so most mechanics will lose their jobs. Therefore, there will be expert deficiency to work on these vehicles when they become faulty,” Dr Ayetor said.

The Deputy Director in Charge of Energy Efficiency Regulations at the Energy Commission Ghana, Mr Kennedy Amankwa, said currently, the Commission was putting together the regulations for EV charging stations.

He explained that the regulation would tackle safety, expectations and everything that would make the EV charging station work safely and effectively, stressing that there was a strong growth potential with the right policy.

“Energy Commission, we are mandated to regulate the electric charging stations. The Ministry of Transport is responsible for the vehicles. So we started by drafting the standards with the Ghana Standards Authority, and after the development of the standards, we go ahead to engage stakeholders and parliament for its approval,” Mr Amankwà said.

The UNDP Representative to Ghana, Mr Niloy Banerjee, said the UNDP had taken the lead in acquiring its EV and charging station in reduc­ing carbon emissions, and local air pollution and thanked the government for the collaboration with them

 BY BERNARD BENGHAN

The Accra Technical Universi­ty (ATU) on Thursday held a special ceremony to climax its 75th anniversary on the school prem­ises.

It was themed ‘75 years of impact­ing society and driving innovation.’

As part of the anniversary activities, the school organised a series of events including debates with other Technical Universities, lectures on innovation, donation to prison inmates and a clean-up exercise.

Representing the Minister of Ed­ucation, Haruna Iddrisu, the Direc­tor-in-Charge of Tertiary Education, Dr. Emmanuel Newman highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry.

He charged the university to pro­duce competitive professionals who are equipped to meet the current needs of the nation.

Dr. Newman also disclosed the gov­ernment’s commitment to expanding infrastructure in tertiary institutions, calling on ATU’s alumni to contrib­ute towards a 500-bed hostel, to be named the Alumni Hostel.

“The government will also continue to work with relevant stakeholders to expand infrastructure in the tertiary institutions,” he said.

The Special Guest of Honour, Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, commended the Institution for their immense contribution to the country and urged them to continue to nurture more talents.

“Education uplift communities, preserves our heritage, build resilient societies and our commitment to fos­tering institutions like Accra Technical University,” he explained.

The Ga Mantse also charged students to embrace innovation and enterprise, urging them to apply their knowledge and relentlessly pursue excellence.

Professor Amevi Acakpovi, the acting Vice Chancellor of ATU lauded the Ga Mantse’s presence at the celebration, describing him as a visionary leader dedicated to education and youth development.

He said the University has expanded academic progress to meet techno­logical development and remained a center of excellence in practical knowledge.

 By Linda Abrefi Wadie