Calls have been made for the Ministry of the Interior to urgently contact more than 1,300 security recruitment applicants who tested positive for HIV, with concerns that many may still be unaware of their status and could miss the opportunity for early treatment and counselling.
The appeal came from the Chairperson of Parliament’s Government Assurance Committee, Dominic Nitiwul, during a committee sitting on July 7, where Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak appeared to account for assurances he had given Parliament on policies and programmes scheduled for implementation by the ministry from 2025.
Addressing the minister, Mr Nitiwul stressed the need for immediate intervention, arguing that notifying the affected applicants would not only allow them to access counselling and medical care but also help reduce the risk of unknowingly transmitting the virus.
“Please, find a way of reaching out to these people as the number is huge and scary.”
The discussion followed the minister’s disclosure that 1,300 people tested positive for HIV after medical examinations conducted as part of recruitment into various security agencies. According to him, about 100,000 applicants completed the aptitude and medical assessment stages.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak explained that the ministry had deliberately withheld direct notification of the medical results from applicants to avoid causing emotional distress.
He said those affected had instead been given a contact through which they could reach officials, receive orientation and counselling before being informed of their medical status. He added that the approach was guided by recommendations from the World Health Organisation.
“There were certain ailments that you just do not throw it on a person’s face that you have hepatitis B and you have HIV.”
The issue was raised after Ahanta West MP and committee member Mavis Kuukua Bissue sought clarification on whether applicants who tested positive for HIV or were found to have drug-related issues had been contacted and referred for counselling and treatment.
Drawing on his experience as a former Minister for Defence, Mr Nitiwul said similar situations had occurred during previous recruitment exercises and stressed the importance of informing those affected without delay.
“We called them, counselled them and told them, and it is important you do that too.”
He warned that failing to notify applicants could have wider public health consequences if individuals unknowingly infected their partners.
“Because trust me, if it is a boy, he may have a girlfriend, and if it is a girl, she may have a boyfriend, and if they are not aware, trust me, the next time this 1,300 figure will jump to 10,000 or 20,000,” he said. “So you have to find a way of assuring them so that they can treat themselves because getting HIV is not the same as getting AIDS.”
Mr Nitiwul also sought to dispel misconceptions surrounding HIV, explaining that advances in treatment now allow people living with the virus to lead healthy lives when they consistently take their medication.
“It is not like before, when the disease was a death sentence. No. If the person has HIV and has not already developed into AIDS, and the person continues to take the drugs, the person will actually live a normal life and give birth. And it will come to a time when the person continues taking the drugs, and they cannot infect people, but if you do not inform them, first, they will spread it, and secondly, they will develop into AIDS and die early,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak accepted the recommendation and acknowledged the broader public health implications of the matter.
Describing the intervention as “very useful advice,” the minister assured the committee that efforts would be made to support those who tested positive.
“Yes, you are right because this is a public health issue, and it is something that we should not gloss over because it will lead to many innocent people getting it. So, advice is well taken, and I assure you that we will try what we can to help, especially those with HIV, as it is a public health risk,” he stated.
