ABSTRACT
A plethora of scholarly studies have indicated that migration and human trafficking contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, most of these studies have focused on the role cross border migration and trafficking play in the spread of HIV/AIDS at the expense of internal migration and trafficking. This paper explores how internal migration and human trafficking contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Manya Krobo area of Ghana. The study relied predominantly on qualitative research techniques for data collection and analysis. A total of 50 respondents drawn on a voluntary basis participated in this research. The findings suggest that internal migration and human trafficking contribute significantly to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the study area. A myriad of complex socio-economic factors (such as poverty, unemployment, diminishing livelihood opportunities) also add to the problem of internal migration, human trafficking and the high HIV/AIDS prevalence in the study area.
Acknowledgments
Appreciation is extended to Mr. Theophilus Agbodjalu, Eastern Region Coordinator of the National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPLAS) in Ghana and Mr. Christopher Mensah of Chrismek Right’s Foundation, Somanya, Ghana for their time and patience in accessing necessary documents and guiding me to key informants. Special thanks to Agnes Lartey and Blessing Agboada for their research assistance and to Dr. Enoch Pambour for the editorial assistance. Sincere gratitude to all the Leaders of PLWHA in the Manya and Yilo Krobo areas of Ghana and all the research participants for sharing their experiences and perspectives on the topic with me. Authors did not receive any external funding for this work. All cost related to this research was covered by the first author.