Ghana will begin deploying condom vending machines across the country by the last quarter of 2026 as part of efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve access to condoms, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has announced.
The machines will be installed at strategic public locations, including lorry stations, mosques, stadia and shopping malls, to allow people to obtain condoms privately without direct interaction with vendors, Director-General of the GAC, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, said.
He said the commission was also seeking to extend the initiative to public institutions, including washrooms in ministries, departments, agencies and financial institutions, under its national HIV and wellness policy.
Dr Akanbong disclosed the plan during a dissemination meeting in Accra on the 2026 HIV Estimates and Projections.
He said the commission was developing a new condom vending strategy as part of its broader condom and lubricant strategy, with the machines expected to be tailored to the needs of different communities.
“The machines will not all be the same. Depending on the peculiar characteristics of a local population, the machine deployed could be electronically operated or manually administered,” he said.
Dr Akanbong explained that Ghana had previously introduced condom vending machines, which dispensed packs of three condoms for 50 pesewas, but the programme eventually collapsed after many of the machines were vandalised.
“People were forcefully emptying the machines to take the coins,” he said.
He added that the new generation of machines would be designed to reduce the incentive for vandalism.
Responding to concerns about condom shortages reported last year, Dr Akanbong said the government had since procured additional supplies, which were now available across the country.
The dissemination meeting presented the 2026 HIV Estimates and Projections, which assess the state of Ghana’s HIV epidemic, identify remaining gaps in the national response and guide future interventions.
Dr Kafui Senya, Technical Lead for HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis at the World Health Organization Country Office, said the latest estimates underscored the need for sustained efforts to reduce new HIV infections, eliminate stigma and discrimination, and ensure equitable access to quality prevention and treatment services.
Programme Manager of the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, Dr Emmanuel Akwoulo Agyigewe Teviu, urged stakeholders to address persistent gaps in HIV prevention and strengthen integrated, people-centred care.
The Governing Board Chair of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Kakra Essamuah, said the government remained committed to strengthening Ghana’s national HIV response.
Credit:- channelonenewsonline.com
