The Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has launched the National Workplace HIV and Wellness Policy on behalf of the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, urging employers and institutions to foster healthier, stigma-free work environments.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah called on workplaces to provide accurate health information, protect confidentiality, encourage voluntary testing, and support treatment for persons living with HIV. She explained that the policy forms part of government’s broader agenda to improve population health, reduce preventable diseases, safeguard the workforce, and advance Universal Health Coverage.
She noted that HIV continues to pose a major public health and development challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, with significant impacts on households, productivity, and national growth. The workplace, she emphasized, is a critical platform for prevention, education, counselling, testing, stigma reduction, and treatment support.
The policy adopts a comprehensive approach to workplace wellness, integrating HIV interventions with broader health measures such as routine screening, mental health awareness, nutrition, and physical activity. This aligns with the Ministry’s focus on prevention and early intervention, as well as the Government’s Free Primary Healthcare initiative.
Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kharmecelle Prosper Akanbong, disclosed that approximately 334,723 people were living with HIV in Ghana as of the end of 2024, with treatment coverage at 68 percent against a 95 percent target. He stressed that workplaces remain a vital entry point for HIV response efforts and called for effective implementation of the policy across both public and private sectors to ensure early identification, support, and linkage to care in line with the principle of leaving no one behind.
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