A non-governmental organisation (NGO), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Wednesday, says they have provided in-care HIV/AIDS services support to over 2 million persons living with the virus globally.
Dr Echey Ijezie, Nigeria’s Country Director, made this known at an event in Abuja to mark the milestone recorded in 47 countries since its over 20 years of operation.
“We are immensely proud to reach this historic milestone when the global programs launched 20 years ago in South Africa and Uganda with 100 patients in each.
“We never imagined we would be serving 2 million lives under our care around the world.
“At the time we started, it cost $5,000 per patient annually for ARVs. Today, more than half of AHF’s 2 million lives receiving care are in Africa.
” The combination of medicine and advocacy implementing prevention, care, and treatment programs and the support of government and other international donors have allowed us to reach this momentous achievement collectively.
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“In Nigeria, we started with a zero patient base in 2011, but today, we have 29, 000 in care under the Nigeria program, many of them in very remote locations in Abuja, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross river, Kogi and Nasarawa states,” he said.
He added that AHF continues to leverage innovative healthcare delivery models to expand its reach and impact, especially in communities by providing comprehensive medical care, treatment, testing, prevention, and support services.
Ijezie reiterated the commitment of AHF to advocating for access to HIV treatment and care for everyone who needs it by supporting the government in HIV/AIDS intervention and response.
Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, Director Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, while commending AHF, reiterated government commitment towards improving health outcomes and unlocking the health sector value chain.
“We are excited to be working with AHF, one thing stands out for their robustness in getting to the hard to reach areas to support those living with the virus.
“And their intervention has brought succor and hope for not just the people living with the virus, but other people as well,” he said.
Abdulkadir Ibrahim, National Coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), said the over 2 million persons in care treatment shows AHF’s commitment in ending the virus globally.
“Putting 2 million lives on treatment shows that we are moving towards ending AIDS in Nigeria and globally.
“Scientifically we know that treatment is working and it serves as a means of prevention.
“By this it shows that AIDS is no longer a public threat as people are living and accessing treatment and living a healthy life.”
Oluwafunke Odunkade, Technical Officer, HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STI, WHO-Nigeria, stressed the need to continue to ensure that all the people brought into the care have optimum access to healthcare services.
“While we celebrate, we must be reminded that this is not the end. We still have the last hurdle to cross, and we can only achieve that by collaboratively rethinking our strategies.
” We are ensuring that HIV is fully mainstream into the health systems and not standing alone and also ensuring that all the people that we brought into care have the optimum level of care.
“It is not just for us to have the numbers, but it’s important that they have optimum care,” she said.