NAP+ to build robust system to quell recurrence of sexual abuse of HIV/AIDS patients

The Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NAP+) Ghana Secretariat has said that it is building a robust system to quell the recurrence of allegations of its executives members engaged in the exploitation of HIV/AIDS patients.

The NAP+ has also distanced itself from any responses by some persons on the matter, stressing that the views of such persons do not reflect their stance; adding that such persons are not affiliated to it.

A few days back, a report emerged from the Global Fund on the findings of an investigation into how some HIV/AIDS patients were being asked to offer sex in exchange for medications and other benefits by the executives of NAP+, a non-governmental organization.

The allegation from the Global Fund, an international organization under the auspices of the WHO, had a caveat, “all but one of the accused executives denied the allegations and that it [Global Fund] believed that executives should have the right to cross-examine their accusers”.

Further details from Reuters showed that Persons living with HIV and AIDS are exploited sexually by executive members of the Ghana Network Association of People Living with HIV (NAP+) as cited in a Global Fund report.

The investigation detailed how the executive members of NAP+ Ghana “abused their positions of power and fostered a culture of sexual and financial exploitation”.

But in a response, the NAP+ has said, without denying the allegations, that "the allegations in the report took place in September 2019 under different executive leadership and those involved are no longer representatives of NAP+ Ghana since January 2020."

The statement further said that that none of its executives were involved in the investigations as they were not invited by the Global Fund during the process.

"The Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund did not reach out to any member of the current Executives, nor the Interim Management Committee during the course of the investigative process, neither were we invited in January 2021 for our comments to the report," the statement explained.

The NAP+ has therefore served notice that is doing all that is necessary to quell the future recurrence of such misbehaviours, starting with the institution of a robust system to monitor and document progress on their work.

"We will continue the process of reviewing and strengthening our Constitution and other Governance structures to enable us to address this issue and any other potential related issues, whilst ensuring that a robust system is developed to monitor and document our progress and best practices. We will communicate progress in this regard with all relevant partners and stakeholders," it said.

The group has also stated that will take its executives at all levels through capacity building that they hope they will also pass down to their other members below the chain of command.

Read the full statement below: