Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance Leads Historic Capitol Hill Advocacy Day on Ghana’s Independence Day

Advocates alongside Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

 

The Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance (G-DNA), in partnership with the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (GHPAC) and key African diaspora organizations, spearheaded a transformative Advocacy Training and Capitol Hill Day on March 5 and 6, 2025. This landmark event, coinciding with Ghana’s Independence Day, mobilized the largest-ever delegation of African diaspora nurses, clinicians, and advocates to engage with U.S. lawmakers on critical global health priorities—foremost among them, the urgent reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) before the March 25 deadline.

In preparation for these congressional engagements, G-DNA led an intensive advocacy training session on March 5, equipping healthcare professionals with the tools to champion global health policies effectively. With support from GHPAC’s Forward Ever Collective Foundation, participants learned strategic advocacy techniques, policy messaging, and the historical significance of PEPFAR’s impact across Africa.

“This advocacy training was about empowering African diaspora nurses and healthcare professionals to use their expertise and lived experiences to shape policies that directly impact their work and the patients they serve,” said Dr. Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, President and Co-founder of G-DNA. “Our ability to care for patients is directly tied to government policies, and we cannot afford to be silent.”

On March 6, a delegation of 30 advocates met with 13 congressional offices across both the House and Senate, emphasizing the indispensable role of PEPFAR in combating HIV/AIDS and strengthening healthcare systems across Africa. Key engagements included meetings with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Representative Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), and other congressional leaders who have supported global health initiatives.

 

Advocates on their way to Capitol for Hill Day meetings

 

Rep. Jackson, a staunch advocate for global health equity, led the delegation in singing the Ghanaian national anthem before personally escorting them to the House floor, where they were recognized for their commitment to global health advocacy. In a show of solidarity, Senator Van Hollen donned a kente neck sash and reaffirmed his support for PEPFAR, acknowledging its life-saving impact in Africa and beyond.
“On Ghana’s Independence Day, African nurses from across the diaspora stood together in a powerful display of advocacy and unity,” noted Dr. Commodore-Mensah. “We demonstrated that our voices matter and that the healthcare challenges faced by African nations must remain a priority for U.S. policymakers.

PEPFAR has been a lifeline for millions of people living with HIV/AIDS, particularly in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia, where
healthcare systems rely heavily on its funding. The program provides crucial resources for antiretroviral therapy, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and community-based support services.

• However, the halt in PEPFAR funding has already had devastating consequences:
• Nurses and healthcare providers are forced to turn away patients due to medication shortages.
• Mothers fear passing HIV to their newborns as critical prevention programs are cut.
• Ten civil society organizations in Ghana alone have scaled back operations, leaving thousands of patients vulnerable to untreated HIV

 

The March 25 deadline for PEPFAR’s reauthorization is rapidly approaching. The time to act is now. We urge lawmakers to reauthorize PEPFAR and continue this critical investment in global health—because the cost of inaction is measured in lives lost.

As Dr. Melonie Owusu, an infectious disease nurse practitioner in Baltimore, Maryland, and Director at Large for the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance (G-DNA), shares:

“I have dedicated my career to fighting HIV/AIDS. Through this work, I met Ama, a woman whose life is a testament to the power of PEPFAR. Ama’s world changed overnight in 2005 when her husband died suddenly. While pregnant and grieving, she learned she had HIV. At a time when an HIV diagnosis was often seen as a death sentence, she feared she would not live to raise her child.

But thanks to PEPFAR, Ama received free antiretroviral therapy, which not only saved her life but also ensured that her baby—now 20 years old—was born HIV-free. Because of PEPFAR, Ama not only survived—she thrived. Today, she works as a community health advocate, ensuring that other mothers do not have to face the same fear and uncertainty she once did.

Her story is not just one of survival—it is one of legacy. The ripple effect of PEPFAR’s impact lives on the millions of lives saved, the families kept whole, and the healthcare workers empowered to continue this fight.”

With healthcare providers and nurses at the frontlines of this crisis, the failure to reauthorize PEPFAR would burden those tasked with caring for vulnerable populations. Nurses and clinicians who depend on PEPFAR-supported programs to provide life-saving treatment and education will see their ability to care for patients severely compromised. The repercussions will be felt in Ghana, across Africa, and globally, reversing decades of progress in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

G-DNA remains steadfast in its commitment to advocating for policies that ensure continued investment in globalhealth and the sustainability of essential programs like PEPFAR. We call on all stakeholders—policymakers,healthcare professionals, and the global community—to stand with us in this fight.
About the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance (G-DNA): The Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance is a non-profit organization that seeks to foster a sustainable local-global collaboration between Ghanaian nurses and the Diaspora to advance nursing education in Ghana and improve health outcomes for Ghanaian people. Learn more at http://www.g-dna.org
About GHPAC: The Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (GHPAC) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization committed to empowering Ghanaian and African diaspora communities through civic engagement, advocacy, and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.ghanadiasporapac.org
About Forward Ever Collective Foundation: The Forward Ever Collective Foundation (“FECF”) is a charitable non-profit 501 (c)(3) affiliated with Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (“GHPAC”), established to address the acute.

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