A’Ibom abrogates user fees for all HIV-related services

THE Akwa Ibom State government has abrogated user fees for all HIV-related services as part of its commitment towards combating the epidemic.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, announced this when a team from the Office of the Global AIDs Coordinator (OGAC), Washington DC, paid a courtesy call in his office in Uyo, the state capital.

The OGAC team was led by Bill Paul – Nigerian Chair, Deputy Coordinator for Program Quality, OGAC; Lisa Baldwin – Division Chief, Health Team Leader, Africa Bureau, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Headquarters; Tedd Ellerbrock – Global Care and Treatment Lead, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Headquarters Atlanta, USA; Emilo Dirlikov of CDC Nigeria and Dr. Chris Obanubi of USAID Nigeria, among others.

The visiting team acknowledged government effort and hoped that elimination of user fees will abrogate all barriers to treatment by People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the state.

The OGAC team that was in the state to assess the ongoing HIV surge response was satisfied with the level of efforts by USAID and other implementing partners.

The surge response is aimed at HIV epidemic control in Akwa Ibom State.

The team visited some health facilities including ART Unit, Etinan General Hospital, Mega PCR Lab, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Anua General Hospital, Primary Health Centre, Enwang Mbo LGA and the Surge Situation Room at the Ministry of Health, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, Uyo.

The Situation Room is a communication hub equipped with sophisticated facilities. The room is linked to all Enhanced Management Sites (health facilities) earmarked to support HIV epidemic control in the state. It is used for monitoring and evaluation, ECHO video clinical mentoring, programme review, teaching and capacity building.

It may be recalled that the United States Ambassador to Nigeria – Stuart W. Symington – in August 2019 visited Governor Udom Emmanuel to launch USG most important effort – to save lives that would have otherwise been lost.

Symington had explained that the advocacy was to ensure that all those living with HIV know their status and those who are positive are commenced and retained on treatment.