WAAF Starts Implementation of the Disinfo Detour Project with funding from the Commonwealth Foundation

The West Africa AIDS Foundation is pleased to announce the start of the implementation of a new project entitled “Disinfo Detour”, which was made possible through funding from the Commonwealth Foundation. The project is designed to address challenges relating to disinformation and misuse of HIV-related data, especially relating to some specific groups, in Ghana. The project particularly focuses on how false narratives and the distortion of HIV data has and continues to fuel stigma, discrimination, and even violence against sexual and gender minorities and People Living with HIV (PLHIV).
Over the years, Ghana has made significant progress in the national HIV response. However, misinformation and the manipulation of HIV data have increasingly been used to fuel stigma, discrimination, and violence against marginalized groups. This was especially evident during the public discourse surrounding the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill and its subsequent passage in Parliament. During this period, false and misleading narratives—often rooted in religious and cultural biases—were circulated widely across mainstream and social media. These narratives misrepresented HIV data, portraying vulnerable persons as vectors of disease and immorality. Such misinformation triggered moral panic and led to heightened hostility, social isolation, and limited access to healthcare for the vulnerable, particularly vulnerable men, women, youth and Persons Living with HIV.

The Disinfo Detour Project therefore seeks to combat these harmful trends by ensuring that HIV-related data is used ethically and responsibly, while promoting an evidence-based and human-rights-driven approach to public health communication. The project will collaborate closely with key national agencies responsible for managing sensitive HIV data, including the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Together with these partners, WAAF aims to co-develop frameworks that enhance data security, promote responsible data sharing, and prevent the misinterpretation or weaponization of HIV information.

A major component of the project is to build capacity and strengthen response mechanisms against misinformation. This includes training key staff of national agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and community-based groups, manage, and counter false information in real time. Through these efforts, WAAF aims to establish a sustainable structure that supports ethical communication, fosters trust between communities and health institutions, and protects vulnerable populations from harm caused by misinformation.