By Ashiadey Dotse
Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revealed that about 1,300 applicants who took part in the recent security services recruitment exercise tested positive for HIV during mandatory medical screening.
The Minister revealed this when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, saying the applicants were identified during the medical examination stage of the recruitment process.
Mr Muntaka explained that the government deliberately withheld the medical results from applicants until they could receive proper counselling, stressing that it would be inappropriate to inform someone of an HIV diagnosis without professional guidance.
He said applicants who were disqualified were instead given contact details to enable them seek clarification on the reasons for their disqualification and receive the necessary counselling.
According to the Minister, the approach was designed to protect the privacy of applicants while ensuring they understood their medical condition and the support available to them.
He noted that some of the conditions detected during the screening are treatable, and encouraged affected applicants to seek medical care so they could be eligible for future recruitment exercises.
Mr Muntaka disclosed that the screening also uncovered cases of hepatitis B, heart conditions, mental health challenges, previous major surgeries and drug-related issues.
He urged unsuccessful applicants to request their medical reports, saying some may be living with health conditions they are unaware of.
He added that early diagnosis and treatment could improve both their health and their chances of qualifying for future security service recruitment.
