The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that 1,300 out of 100,000 applicants tested positive for HIV during recent recruitment exercises into Ghana’s security agencies.
The Minister made the revelation on July 7, 2026, while appearing before Parliament’s Government Assurance Committee to respond to questions on policy implementations by his ministry.
In response, the Committee Chairperson, Dominic Nitiwul, urged the Minister to take immediate steps to contact all affected applicants to inform them of their status, provide counselling, and facilitate early treatment. He warned that failure to do so could lead to further transmission of the virus.
“Please, find a way of reaching out to these people, as the number is huge and scary,” Mr Nitiwul advised.
He noted that during his tenure as Defence Minister, similar cases were handled by directly contacting affected individuals and offering counselling.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak explained that applicants had not yet been notified of their results to avoid shock, and that a contact point had been provided for them to access counselling before receiving their status, in line with World Health Organisation guidelines.
He acknowledged the Chairperson’s advice as “very useful” and assured the committee that the ministry would take action, describing the situation as a public health risk requiring urgent attention.
Mr Nitiwul further emphasised that with proper medication, persons living with HIV could lead normal lives and prevent transmission, and stressed the importance of early intervention to curb the spread of the virus.
