Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation Samuel Nartey George has criticised the Ghana AIDS Commission for distributing lubricants to men who have sex with men (MSM), arguing the move undermines its core mandate to fight HIV.
Contributing to deliberations on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025 on Friday, the Ningo-Prampram MP said resources used for the intervention should instead support maternal healthcare delivery.
“We have evidence of Ghana AIDS Commission officers meeting with pro-LGBTQ groups and giving them lubricants. If the Ghana AIDS Commission is supposed to fight HIV, why are you giving lubricants to men to have anal sex with men?” Mr. George told Parliament.
He rejected the Commission’s explanation that the lubricants were a harm-reduction measure to curb HIV transmission among people already infected.
“And the excuse given is that these are people who already have HIV, and so they don’t want them to spread it. So they are giving them lubricants. That in itself is an activity that continues to perpetuate anal sex between men,” he said.
The lead sponsor of the bill argued that public health funding should prioritize urgent needs in maternal care.
“If they really want to fund public health, they should go and give maternal beds for women who do not have beds for delivery. This one, we won’t open the door,” he added.
The Ghana AIDS Commission has not yet publicly responded to the criticism. The Commission’s standard HIV prevention strategy has previously included targeted interventions for key populations, including MSM, as part of Ghana’s National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan.
The exchange occurred during committee stage discussions on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.
