Expert on why 1,300 HIV-positive cases need cautious interpretation

Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, a former Programmes Manager for the National AIDS Control Programme has urged caution in interpreting reports that about 1,300 applicants in the recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Speaking on Starr FM on July 8, 2026, he said the reported figures may not necessarily represent confirmed HIV-positive cases, noting that the initial screening test only identifies reactive cases.

"We need to also look at it from the perspective that this is just a first test. Usually, before you are confirmed as positive, you have to undergo the full testing algorithm. Maybe these are people who initially tested as reactive, but before you confirm that anybody is positive, they have to go through the full algorithm," he explained.

Dr Ayisi Addo stressed the need for the applicants who tested positive during the screening to undergo confirmatory tests.

Over 1,300 potential recruits test positive for HIV – Interior Minister

"This is just an initial screening test, which means that later, if those people are linked to services, they will be confirmed, and then those who need treatment are put on treatment," he said.

Dr Ayisi Addo also noted that the figure should be assessed against the total number of applicants who underwent testing rather than viewed in isolation.

"Now, this figure, 1,300, looks big, but we have to analyse it against the total number that tested. If you take our country, the HIV prevalence is about 1.47%. So, if we also take the denominator, which is the number of people who tested, it may well reflect the prevalence of the general population, in which case it is not extraordinary," he noted.

However, he said if the proportion turns out to be significantly higher than the national HIV prevalence, it would warrant a closer examination of the characteristics of those who participated in the recruitment exercise.

"If it is far higher than the national prevalence, then we need to analyse the profiles or characteristics of the people who came to access the services," he stated.

His comments come after the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, disclosed before Parliament's Assurances Committee on Monday, July 6, 2026, that approximately 1,300 applicants tested positive for HIV during the mandatory medical screening conducted as part of the recruitment process.

According to the minister, the medical examination forms part of the standard recruitment procedure used to assess the health and fitness of applicants before they are enlisted into the various security services.

JKB/VPO

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