The Ghana AIDS Commission has disclosed that it is in need of more than $130 million to respond to HIV/AIDs related activities yearly.

Speaking in an interview on Joy Midday News, on Thursday, the Director-General of the Commission said his outfit lacks funds to carry out its activities.

Dr Kyeremeh Atuahene said, “we need more than $130 million equivalent for the AIDS response every year and the government of Ghana doesn’t have that money, so donors actually pay the biggest part of it.”

“Because we do not have adequate funding, we have to prioritize. So anti-retroviral medicine and other HIV commodities like test kits, reagents and other supplies for laboratory work are our priority now,” he added.

The Director-General of the AIDS Commission said Ghana is yet to meet the 60% cost of HIV programme expenses shared between donors and the country.

The Commission has therefore reported the issue to the government and is waiting for a response.

“We have been overly donor-dependent, and now these donors are saying that there should be burden sharing. Therefore countries have to pay 60% of the cost of HIV/AIDS programme while they continue to support with 40%. Ghana is yet to meet that 60% threshold and we are working with the government to address that,” he said.

Dr Atuahene urged charities, philanthropists and individuals to come to their aid since the government cannot handle the situation alone, especially considering the prevailing economic crisis in the country.