The chairperson of the newly constituted governing board of the AIDS Commission, Dr Kweku Afriyie, says the activities of miners is a threat to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

He said this is working against the country’s quest to eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2030.

After decades of the campaign to sensitise against the virus, it is estimated that 21,000 people die annually from the virus in Ghana, depriving the country of a much needed productive segment of its population.

Though the country has made progress in meeting the SDG target of ending the virus by 2030, Dr Afriyie, who doubles as Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said that the virus has persisted because of indiscriminate activities of miners operating within the communities.

Therefore, he has suggested that the "government should take money from the mining companies" to finance treatment and campaign against the virus.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly constituted board at the Jubilee House, Dr Afriyie lamented that "HIV/AIDS is a social problem, and apart from the pollution and chronic poisoning, their (mining companies) activities engender HIV and AIDS so we must take money from them."

Dr Afriyie, who's a trained medical doctor and former Health Minister, said, "Those segment of society or the economy whose activities engender to the transmission of HIV AIDS have been left off the hook.

"I'm being specific, those in the mining industry because the hot spots of HIV are related to the mining communities so we must take money from them to invest".

He painted a rather gloomy picture of the number of people who die annually from HIV/AIDS and the need to keep up with the fight to prevent possible regression realising SDG 3.

"Imagine (fully packed) 400 STC buses plunging into a river and dying per anum; that is how many people we lose to the virus. That is why we must invest in that area and not relent."

The newly constituted governing board has since assumed office to meet the SDG.