Managers of a Ghanaian aid organization for people with HIV and AIDS have been guilty of sexual abuse and corruption. This was announced by the Global Fund, the international fund that subsidizes the Ghanaian organization.
The Global Fund investigated the case after reports of abuse at the NAP + Ghana organization. It found that executives abused their power and perpetuated a culture of sexual and financial exploitation, a report says.
“Several executives demanded that patients commit sexual acts or pay bribes in exchange for favors,” the researchers write. They draw their conclusion based on, among other things, dozens of testimonials.
‘Disgusted’
The abuses took place between 2010 and 2019 and there would have been at least ten perpetrators. The report contains a response from five of them. One person admits guilt for corruption, the other charges are all contradicted.
Sands director of the Global Fund calls the behavior disgusting. The fund says it will take measures to prevent these kinds of things in the future.
The Netherlands is a donor
The Global Fund is a Geneva-based organization that fights diseases such as AIDS, malaria and TB. Much of the money comes from national governments.
The Netherlands is the ninth largest donor according to the Global Fund. For the years 2020-2022, the Dutch contribution is 156 million euros.