A March 2026 report from Health Policy Watch, featured by the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), details a significant escalation in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Ghana and Senegal. Both West African nations are moving to double or triple prison sentences for same-sex relations and criminalize advocacy, creating a dire environment for human rights and public health.
In Senegal, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s cabinet recently approved a bill that would increase the maximum penalty for “unnatural acts” from five to ten years. Crucially, the law introduces the crime of “apology” or “promotion,” which targets activists, NGOs, and even healthcare workers who provide support to LGBTQ+ individuals. This crackdown has already led to a wave of arrests and a visible decline in HIV testing and treatment as marginalized communities fear being outed to authorities. Meanwhile, Ghana’s Parliament has reintroduced the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.”
This wide-ranging legislation not only criminalizes LGBTQ+ identity but also mandates that citizens report suspected individuals to the police. It imposes prison terms for “gross indecency”—including cross-dressing—and bans all LGBTQ+ organizations. Health advocates warn that these punitive measures across both countries will drive the HIV epidemic underground, undoing decades of progress in regional public health.
