The Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Alban Kingsford Bagbin, has recounted how instrumental he was several years ago in the country’s fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS disease.
According to him, he was one of the key individuals who led the establishment of the ‘Virginity Club’ to promote virginity as a value among the youth.
Addressing officials from the Key Accountability Institutions Network in Parliament on Monday, June 9, 2025, the Speaker said he was able to organise, with the support of the Ghana AIDS Commission, a national-level beauty contest for virgins.
The Right Honourable Speaker, however, was quick to issue a disclaimer regarding the selection of contestants.
“The national level of the contest was organised at Paloma, and the young virgins were selected not by me, but by different panels of judges. We went around senior high schools establishing Virginity Clubs as a tool to fight AIDS,” he explained.
He emphasised the need for deliberate action led by people of integrity, stating that leadership is crucial in such matters.
In 2024, the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) expressed concern over the surge in new HIV infections in Ghana, despite a reduction in the national prevalence rate.
In a statement issued on Monday, December 2, 2024, to commemorate World AIDS Day, GHANET highlighted the alarming increase in new HIV cases, with 34,000 new diagnoses reported between January and September 2024.
“As a matter of fact, even though our national prevalence has declined to 1.53%, the rate of new infections is quite alarming. For example, earlier this year, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) reported that the number of new infections in 2023 was 17,774. Also, in November this year, the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP) reported that between January and September 2024, the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases rose to about 34,000,” the statement noted.
Despite the decline in overall prevalence, GHANET stressed that the fight against HIV and AIDS is far from over, urging the public to remain committed.
“We, therefore, on this day, wish to make a special appeal to all Ghanaians, especially the youth, to exercise caution regarding risky sexual behaviours. Recent reports of an upsurge in sex parties (orgies) and hookups (transactional sex), coupled with low condom usage, are quite worrying,” the statement added.
The Network also called on the government to introduce new interventions to combat HIV and AIDS.
“I didn’t choose the virgins” – Speaker Bagbin shares a light moment while recounting his role in Ghana’s fight against AIDS during a meeting with the Key Accountability Institutions Network in Parliament.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/HJ5EufYwOj
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) June 9, 2025
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