Fresh antiretroviral (ARV) supplies are expected to arrive in the country within the next three to four weeks, as the Ghana AIDS Commission moves to directly address growing concerns over medication stockouts.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, July 9, the Commission’s Director of Technical Services, Dr Eric Nana Poku, admitted the current supply chain has faced intense pressure but argued that managing the distribution of life-saving medication requires careful coordination rather than public panic.

“What is happening is that at the Central Medical Store, the stock levels are below the threshold that we always want: six months of stock. And that is a bit of a challenge. In fact, when you go to the regional stores too, we are also told that in some regions the stock levels are lower than what is expected,” he admitted.

According to Dr Nana Poku, the shortfall varies significantly across the country, with some regions maintaining healthy stock levels while others face critical dips.

“Processes have been initiated. And we are being told that we should be expecting some more of the commodities within the next three to four weeks. Hopefully, that will forestall any possibility of stockouts hitting the country,” he assured.

The director emphasised that the commission is tracking the issue closely to ensure continuity of care, particularly for pregnant women requiring routine testing to prevent mother-to-child transmission while awaiting the bulk delivery.

Addressing a secondary threat to HIV management, Dr. Nana Poku highlighted a worrying spike in individuals advertising unapproved products claiming to cure HIV/AIDS.

To tackle this, the Commission is shifting toward a highly coordinated enforcement strategy, actively collaborating with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to crack down on illegal advertisements and unauthorised drug sales.

“We are collaborating with them so that we could step up some measures that will deal with these charlatans. It is disheartening,” he noted.

The Commission says its current focus remains on stabilisation, monitoring existing regional stocks over the next month while tightening regulatory oversight to protect vulnerable patients from exploitation.