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Tag: HIV/AIDS

  • FG restates commitment to end HIV/AIDS by 2030, unveils national strategy

    FG restates commitment to end HIV/AIDS by 2030, unveils national strategy

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume has said that the federal government is committed to ending AIDS by the year 2030, saying that it will ensure no one is left behind in providing access to HIV services across the country.

    The government is leveraging a massive private sector to drive a sustainable HIV response as a part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration.

    A national strategic framework for 2023 to 2027 and the symbol of a new business model for sustainable HIV response in Nigeria was unveiled on Thursday, November 30, by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate to drive the efforts towards meeting the 2030 target.

    Currently, Nigeria has 1.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) on treatment out of the 1.9 Million PLHIVs.

    Speaking during the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day in Abuja on Thursday, Akume said: “Nigeria aligns fully with global solidarity and shared responsibilities which requires us to view global health responses in a new way,

    “The government of ‘Renewed Hope’ of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to sustaining the President’s initiative to treat more HIV patients annually using resources mobilized locally.

    “I am happy to note that the key strategy for sustainability and country ownership of HIV to be launched today indicates a pivotal commitment towards ending AIDS by 2030 and beyond, with states providing leadership.

    “I, therefore encourage State governments to key into this agenda for ownership for sustainable HIV response in Nigeria.”

    Read Also: Using community-led solutions to combat HIV/AIDS stigma

    The SGF underscored the necessity of prioritizing community-led initiatives, in addition to private sector collaboration while noting that NACA in collaboration with the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA) recently launched a sixty-two billion Naira private sector-driven HIV/AIDS Trust Fund of Nigeria.

    He said: “This is yet another unique achievement in the Sub-Saharan Africa. We call on the organized private sector to ensure the private business community delivers on its pledge to support Government effort to achieve an HIV-free generation where no baby is born with HIV in Nigeria.

    “We recognize the invaluable contributions of communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is within these communities that we have found resilience, determination, and the will to make a difference.

    “The strength of these communities has propelled us towards achieving the global goal of ending AIDS by 2030”.

    The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Gambo Aliyu in his remarks said Nigeria has demonstrated the zeal to meet the 2030 target considering the proactive measures being put in place

    While noting that complacency has no place as the country marches towards meeting the set date, Aliyu said, “Nigeria’s HIV response was the most COVID-19 resilient globally.

    “Over the last four years and especially during the period of the COVID-19 epidemic, Nigeria has demonstrated tremendous capacity for HIV case identification at community level.

    “As the country continues to make commendable progress towards achieving epidemic control necessary to end AIDS by 2030, we are also mindful of the fact that ending AIDS comes with a huge challenge of sustainability of the control.

    “To overcome this challenge, the Government of Nigeria, the United States Government, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund initiated an alignment programme to ensure country ownership and sustainability of the national response beyond 2030.

    “Leadership communities of persons living with HIV, key affected populations, women, adolescent and young persons; policymakers, religious, traditional and political leaders, civil society organizations, development partners, organized private sector, the general public, and our media society to mention a few, have critical roles to ending social, cultural, legal and economic inequalities holding back progress to ending AIDS and elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.”

    December 1 is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) as World AIDS Day to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS.

    The theme of this year’s commemoration is ‘Let communities lead’.

  • First Lady charges community leaders to join in enforcing fight against HIV/AIDS

    First Lady charges community leaders to join in enforcing fight against HIV/AIDS

    The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has charged community leaders to join hands to  enforce the fight against HIV/AIDS in order to eradicate it from the African continent.

    This is contained in a statement by Mrs Busola Kukoyi, the Senior Special Adviser to the first Lady on Media on Friday in Zimbabwe.

    Mrs Tinubu gave the advice during the commemoration of the 2023 World AIDS day with the theme “Let Communities Lead”.

    The first Lady said the epidemic can only be eradicated with the active involvement of leaders of various communities leading in the war against it.

    The event was organised by the First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa ahead of the 22nd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STI in Africa (ICASA).

    The conference which had participants from the United Nations and other sister agencies speaks about the need to scale up advocacy and education about the pandemic.

    Mrs Tinubu decried the recent statistics released by the UNAIDS which revealed that in 2022, there were about 1.5million new infections on the African continent accounting  for two thirds of that figure.

    “For decades, the global response to HIV/AIDS has been driven by governments, international organisations, and healthcare professionals.

    “While their efforts have been commendable, it is time to recognise the pivotal role that communities play shaping the response to this epidemic.

    Read Also: Fight against HIV/AIDS not over, says AHF Nigeria

    “Communities should be at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and their leadership is crucial in achieving our goals of prevention, treatment and support.”

    “The Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OFLAD), would be having a pre-conference high level meeting on Saturday under the theme “ Addressing the Elimination of Mother to-Child Transmission and the Elimination of Newborn Infections in Africa.”

    She said the conference would be on the purpose of sharing of experiences from various nations, providing recommendations and devising strategies to achieve the all-encompassing goal of eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV on the African Continent.

    Mrs Tinubu urged various community leaders, especially traditional rulers, religious leaders and NGOs among others to intensify efforts to achieve the target of eradicating the pandemic by 2030.

    “We are Africans. We are known for our resilience and tenacity. We must not give up. This we can do and we must do,”he said.

    Earlier, Mrs Mnangagwa educated the participants about the dangers of premarital sex, unwholesome medical practices, youth and adolescents’ vices among others.

    “There is a need to stop the blame game between the men and the women and concentrate more on coming together to put an end to the HIV/AIDS pandemic,“she said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that presentations were made by Zimbabwean artists to drive home the need for enhanced community involvement in the fight against the pandemic.

    The meeting also highlighted the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission and the Elimination of newborn Infections in Africa.

    (NAN)

  • FG reiterates commitment to end HIV/AIDS by 2030

    FG reiterates commitment to end HIV/AIDS by 2030

    The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to provide a robust local resource allocation to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria intervention in the country.

    Hon. Godwin Ogar, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria (ATM), disclosed this at the Flag Off Walk Ceremony organised by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) on Friday, in Abuja.

    The WAD observed annually on Dec.1, emphasises the ongoing need for awareness about the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

    The 2023 WAD theme; “Let Community Lead” aims to highlight the pivotal role communities play in shaping the HIV response and global health.

    Ogar acknowledged the significant progress made in HIV and AIDS over the past decades while highlighting challenges affecting the HIV global response.

    He listed some of the challenges including; insufficient funds, 1.3 million new HIV transmission annually and estimated 630, 000 deaths still occurring each year. 

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    Ogar further declared the support and commitment of members of ATM committee to implement a progressive legislative agenda that would benefit Nigerians.

    “The legislative agenda will provide the needed operational environment towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to end AIDS and TB by 2030.

    “I know very well that this government is eager to contribute over 50 per cent in funding these diseases, to honour all who lost their lives to AIDS related illnesses and support those who have carried the fight uniting people globally in battling HIV/AIDS.

    Dr Echey Ijezie, AHF’s Country Program Director said the WAD is a global event which gives opportunity for people worldwide to unite and show support for those living with HIV and AIDS.

    Ijezie said the day was also to commemorate with those who have died of the disease and advocate for increased effort to prevent new infections.

    ” We are using this opportunity to plead with global leaders to place HIV high on the health agenda and ensure that resources are available, communities are allowed to lead and to remember that the fight is not over.

    Also speaking, Mr Egeonu Benedict, State Clinical Coordinator AHF Abuja, said the foundation was focused on providing cutting edge medicine for person’s living with HIV and AIDS regardless of their ability to pay.

    “One of the key things we do is to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS live and strive in an enabling environment.

    “In AHF we say it is not over, we want to make sure that in 2030 HIV is eradicated totally in Nigeria, with the United Nations 95-95-95 strategy goals ensuring everyone with the virus have access to treatment.

  • Using community-led solutions to combat HIV/AIDS stigma

    Using community-led solutions to combat HIV/AIDS stigma

    Despite countless groundbreaking innovations in the treatment and prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV), it still is a death sentence for some, particularly the most vulnerable and the marginalised. Young people living with the virus, who are part of this group, still deal with social stigma and discrimination, which remain the primary drawbacks in the fight against the disease. As the world commemorates this year’s AIDS Day, CHINYERE OKOROAFOR writes that governments at all levels should sensitise communities to the need to raise awareness of the illness to halt its spread

    Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV), may no longer be a death sentence due to the development of low-cost and extremely effective preventive methods such as the use of condoms during sexual intercourse to emergency antiretroviral medications and long-term antiretroviral (ARTs) medications for those already infected with the disease to scientific advances in the development of an HIV vaccine that could potentially prevent novel infections. But, to people living with the virus in Nigeria, stigma and discrimination have prevented many from seeking HIV testing and treatment.

     For instance, when medical personnel revealed the HIV status result to the parents of 15-year-old Ifeoma Adizua, her parents stigmatised and discriminated against her despite being their child. After several medications to treat a persistent rash she believed was chicken pox to no avail, she said: “When I turned 16 years old, I fell seriously ill so much so that I was hospitalised and required oxygen support for eight days. The medical team conducted a series of tests, and to my horror, it was confirmed that I had contracted HIV.

     “My parents were deeply shaken and began to question me, even going so far as to subject me to a virginity test to prove my innocence. We eventually discovered that I had contracted the virus from a blood transfusion I had received when I was young. The revelation only made things worse as I faced stigma and isolation from my own family. The weight of the situation and the discrimination I experienced left me feeling depressed and lonely. However, I found support in the Association of Positive Youths in Nigeria (APYIN), where I met other young individuals facing the same plight as me.

     “Through my interactions with APYIN, I gained a deeper understanding of the virus and was able to educate my family about the realities of living with HIV. Despite the initial hardship and discrimination that I faced, I emerged stronger and more knowledgeable about the condition and found solace in the community of others like me.”

     The 2022 UNAIDS Global AIDS update titled “In Danger” revealed that global progress towards HIV prevention is slowing rather than accelerating and “the most vulnerable and marginalised are being hit the hardest.” The vulnerable and marginalised include people who have been disproportionately impacted by social, economic and political challenges: women and girls, people with disabilities, children and the youth.

    The Nation reported recently a case of a 19-year-old pregnant girl in Awka Anambra State who was kicked out of the house by her boyfriend on learning that she was HIV positive. It was gathered that the victim’s boyfriend identified as Chibuike sent her parking after getting her pregnant. She was later handed over to a group of health workers who referred her to the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare. Narrating her ordeal, the six-month-pregnant girl said she had been homeless after she was chased out of the house following the discovery that she was HIV positive.

     “I had been in a relationship with my boyfriend, Chibuike for three years before he chased me out of the house after discovering that I was living with HIV. I have been homeless since then,” she said.

     While revealing her parents’ disappointment over her predicament, the lady thanked the state government for accepting to take care of her. In 2021, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 accounted for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of new HIV cases worldwide, and about three in 10 (31 per cent) of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Adolescent girls and young women of the same age group, one of whom becomes infected with HIV every three minutes, are three times more likely to acquire HIV than adolescent boys and young men of the same age in sub-Saharan Africa. The largest HIV survey ever carried out, the National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) conducted in Nigeria in 2018, estimated that approximately 240,000 young people – ages 15 to 24 – were living with HIV in Nigeria in that year. In a recent exclusive interview with The Nation, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Gambo Aliyu, said that stigma and discrimination as the primary challenge of eliminating the virus has remained consistent over the past four decades.

     According to information gleaned from the website of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV internalised stigma can lead to feelings of shame, fear of disclosure, isolation and despair. These feelings can keep people from getting tested and treated for HIV. Despite years of sensitisation programmes by the government and non-governmental organisations against stigmatisation and discrimination as well as the existence of the HIV/AIDS (Anti-Discrimination) Act of 2014, people living with HIV often experience stigma and discrimination across the country.

    HIV data in Nigeria

       According to the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAISS) released from expanded data collection and analysis on March 14, 2019, the national HIV prevalence in Nigeria was 1.4 per cent among adults aged 15 to 49 years. Previous estimates had indicated a national HIV prevalence of 2.8 per cent. UNAIDS and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS estimate that there are 1.9 million people living with HIV in Nigeria. Similarly, Statista’s report on February 2, 2023, showed that 1.9 million people in Nigeria were living with HIV in 2021. Women were the most affected group, accounting for 1.1 thousand individuals. Also, children up to the age of 14 who were HIV positive equalled 170,000. The NACA boss said Nigeria has the second-largest burden of HIV infection. “Currently, a total of 1.8 million people are estimated to be living with HIV in the country, out of which about 1.63 million are already on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), a life-saving medication.

     “Approximately, 58 per cent are estimated to be females and 42 per cent are males. The national average Mother-to-Child Transmission rate of 22 per cent is driven by a large number of states with transmission rates above 25 per cent and few states with rates below 15 per cent. Nigeria is responsible for about 30 per cent of the world’s gap in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT),” it said.

    The state of HIV management and control in Nigeria

    According to Aliyu, Nigeria has made significant strides in the past four years, especially in identifying cases and linking individuals to HIV treatment, but there is still much to be done to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. He said: “Our efforts have been bolstered by a meticulous tracking mechanism, ensuring that every HIV-positive individual who receives treatment is accounted for. This approach marks a substantial departure from the past, allowing us to monitor progress, address treatment issues promptly and prevent the virus from spreading further. We have witnessed a decline in new HIV infections, hospitalisations related to HIV and AIDS-related deaths.”

     He said the declining figure was achieved with the support of partners and global communities to prevent new infections, increase HIV awareness and knowledge and support those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. He, however, stressed the need to address social and structural factors that drive the HIV epidemic. “It is imperative that we confront these systemic inequalities head-on and work to ensure that all individuals have equal access to life-saving prevention, treatment and care services, as well as other social services available to Nigerians,” he said.

    Read Also: Healthcare delivery: FG seeks private sector help to bridge procurement funding gap

    World AIDS Day 2023 theme explained

    The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, stated that the theme “Let Communities Lead” has been chosen to highlight the significance of communities in raising awareness of the illness and halting its spread. However, communities’ leadership is stagnating, even as HIV prevention and treatment services are being hampered by a lack of funding, obstacles in the form of laws and regulations, capacity issues, crackdowns on civil society and the human rights of marginalised communities, and other issues. UNAIDS stated that “community-led organisations can provide even more impetus to the global HIV response, advancing progress towards the end of AIDS, if these obstacles are removed.”

     The UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima said: “The end of AIDS is possible; it is within our grasp. To follow the path that ends AIDS, the world needs to let communities lead.” In line with the theme, Aliyu said that breaking the cycle of fear and prejudice is essential in achieving the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. He urges communities across the country to embrace individuals living with HIV, “treat them with compassion and encourage them to seek treatment without fear of judgment. By fostering an environment of acceptance and support, we can empower people to come forward, get tested, and access necessary treatments.

     “We acknowledge the progress we’ve made and the hurdles we’ve overcome, but the battle against HIV is far from over. Our focus now is to eradicate stigma and discrimination. The government cannot achieve this alone; it requires the cooperation of every citizen. By providing transportation assistance to those in need, encouraging them to adhere to their medication regimens and showing empathy and understanding, we can ensure that people living with HIV receive the care they deserve,” he said.

    What the government is doing in HIV treatment

    Aliyu revealed that HIV medication are more accessible now than before with over 2,000 centres across the country offering free treatment. He said: “We encourage everyone to come forward, get tested and avail themselves of these services. By demanding HIV services, individuals can protect themselves and others, contributing significantly to our goal of ending HIV and AIDS by 2025. We are confident that with continued dedication and community involvement, Nigeria will achieve the 95-95-95 target by 2025, a significant step toward a future without the burden of HIV and AIDS,” he said.

  • HIV/AIDS: FG expresses concern over prevalence rate among adolescents

    The Federal Government has expressed concern over the growing prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among the country’s adolescents.

    Besides, the government said the level of viral suppression is still a challenge ahead of the 2020 target.

    Countries are expected to ensure that 90 percent of their population know their status, that also 90 percent of those tested positive are placed on treatment and 90 percent of those on treatment have their viral load suppressed by 2020.

    From the recent national HIV/AIDS survey, 1.9 million Nigerians are living with the virus with just over one million on treatment, leaving the country with a gap of about 800,000.

    To actualize the 2020 target, Dr. Bolanle Oyeledun, Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CIHP), said all agencies and organisations working on HIV/AIDS must come together and share experiences.

    Speaking at the Scientific Roundtable series organised by the centre, she said harnessing of all ideas will help the country in a big way in addressing rising new infections.

    Speaking on how to raise the needed fund to place the remaining 800,000 Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS on treatment, Oyeledun said the country must look inward rather than waiting for partners and donor agencies.

    Read also: National HIV/AIDS Testing Day: Edo SACA tasks residents on status

    The Federal Government is not comfortable with the increasing number of youths living with the virus, Mr. Araoye Segilola, National Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Division, Federal Ministry of Health, noted.

    Segilola who also spoke at the roundtable series said the government was equally concerned about the level of viral suppression, which according to him is still a challenge.

    He commended all partners who have been of great support to the country’s efforts at addressing HIV in the country.

    Speaking on the 2020 target, Mr. Mukhtar Mohammed, the technical aide to the Director-General of National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), said the agency is still analyzing the country’s information.

    Mohammed also assured the country that the result will be out by Augusts this year.

    The 2020 target is to help the country access the impact which “is for us to have 90 percent of all that are HIV positive know their status; second target is that 90 percent of all those who know their status should be on treatment and 90 percent of all on treatment should have achieved viral load suppression.”

     

  • NACA, others empower 50 vulnerable women to fight HIV/AIDS

    The fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS will not achieve the desired positive results unless young girls and vulnerable women are empowered economically to be self-reliant.

    The National Agency for the Control of AIDS’ (NACA) Acting Director-General, Dr. Kayode Ogungbemi, stated this during an empowerment programme for 50 young girls and vulnerable women in Lagos.

    The programme was organised by NACA, in collaboration with the Association of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAM), and Tosin Anibaba Memorial (TAM) Fund. Ogungbemi, who is also NACA’s Director of Policy and Strategy, stressed that empowerment is key to stemming the tide of the virus.

    “Globally, there are five pillars of preventions that are recognised in fighting HIV/AIDS. One of those pillars is targeting adolescent girls and young women with effective intervention, and such intervention include economic empowerment, use of condoms and for them to also meet as a group to discuss their sexual behaviours and the risk they take.

    “This is one example of such interventions. The essence of the empowerment is to transform the lives of these young girls and women that are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of their dependence on men and because of their inability to say no and make an informed decision when it comes to risky sexual behaviours. By empowering them, they become independent and can make an informed decision about their sexual behaviours,” he said.

    Ogungbemi, who represented the NACA DG, Dr. Sani Aliyu, pointed out that evidence has shown that poverty and financial dependency are some of the major drivers of HIV, especially among young and vulnerable females, with the same evidence also suggesting economic empowerment as a social protection strategy that can boost the coping strategies of people infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

    Data from the Nigeria National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), released earlier in the year, showed an HIV prevalence rate of 1.9 per cent, with women aged 15-49 years shown to be more than twice likely to be living with the virus than men. The findings further revealed that 75 per cent of persons with HIV in Nigeria are between the reproductive and working ages of 15 and 49 years, with poverty recognised as one of the drivers of the epidemic.

    Read Also: Book on HIV/AIDS for launch

    He explained that the agency and its partners organised the micro-enterprise training to empower 50 young girls and vulnerable women in the state as part of efforts to reduce women’s financial dependence, which predisposes them to gender-based violence, sexually risky behaviours and HIV infection. Beneficiaries included women living with HIV and those affected by the disease. If the beneficiaries make good use of the opportunity given to them through the empowerment initiative, Ogungbemi said it will help in reducing the prevalence of the disease and the rate of new infections. This is also an important strategy in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), he added, promising that the 50 women would be monitored to ensure that they make good use of the opportunity given to them.

    “Evidence exists that gender-related interventions are potent tools for breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty, particularly for disadvantaged women and girl children. Enabling economic empowerment and providing sustainable livelihoods for this population will reduce the rate of new HIV infections and bring us closer to achieving HIV epidemic control by 2030,” he said.

    TAM fund Chairman, Senator Dipo Odujirin, corroborated Ogungbemi, saying with reports showing that more women were coming down with HIV/AIDS, the government needs to focus more on initiating measures that could address HIV spread among the female gender. Advising those empowered to make good use of what they have received to better their lives, he stressed that the empowerment programme will help to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women in the country if the beneficiaries leverage the skills they have acquired to become economically viable citizens with the potential expectation to become employers of labour.

    According to the deputy director (Gender, Human rights and Care services), NACA, Dr. Yinka Falola-Anoemuah, the training received by the vulnerable women and young girls covered confectionary, craft, and beautification, including hair dressing and make-up business skills. It also included making of household essentials such as soap, cream, pomade and short-term vegetable farming, with each receiving a start-up pack.

    Some of the beneficiaries, Maria Adebayo and Morenikeji Aramide, said the training included skills in how to create, manage and sustain their business, customer relationship and life-building skills such as understanding the life process and the importance of relating with one another.

  • HIV/AIDS: FG restates commitment to remove barriers on access to treatment

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has renewed the commitment of the Federal Government to remove barriers for  seamless access to HIV and AIDS interventions toward halting the spread of infection in Nigeria.

    The minister made this known in Abuja during the dissemination meeting of Alere HIV Combo Rapid Test Kit 2018 Evaluation Report and inauguration of operational guidelines for HIV self-testing in Nigeria.

    Adewole said, “we need to establish the link between testing and treatment,’’ adding that the goal could be achieved by removing all the barriers and charges relating to the condition.

    “All those charges must disappear.

    “Whatever names we call it, we need to remove them; if we do not remove them when people tested positive they may find it difficult to move forward toward treatment.

    “There is going to be a meeting today to look at how to re-strategise it and go beyond the rhetoric of banning service charges.

    Read Also: JOHESU had no agreement with FG – Adewole

    “We are working on modalities to empower civil society organisations and people living with HIV and AIDS to act as monitors so that where these service charges were being collected they (People Living With HIV and AIDS) will act as feedback mechanism,’’ he said.

    The minister renewed the commitment of government toward eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV.

    “Our goal is that no Nigerian child should be born with HIV in this century, it has happened in many settings, we can replicate it forward.’’

    The minister said the operational guideline for the delivery of HIV self-testing in Nigeria 2018 was developed for effective implementation of HIV self-Testing in Nigeria.

    He added that the guidelines outline the principles for HIV Self -Testing delivery approaches and packages, quality assurance and coordination for HIV self- testing in Nigeria.

    NAN

  • Book on HIV/AIDS for launch

    To underscore its success in the fight against HIV/AIDS and contributions to public health, the APIN Public Health Initiatives, a non-governmental organisation, which began as a project of Harvard School of Public Health, committed to fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge in Nigeria, will hold a public presentation of its book, Turning the Tide: AIDS in Nigeria.

    The book documents its success in the fight against HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria in the last 13 years.

    The event, which would have the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as special guest, would hold on Thursday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

    Speaking to reporters at a pre-event media briefing, Chief Executive Officer of the organisation Dr. Prosper Okonkwo said the book presentation was not just a major milestone in the history of the organisation but a demonstration of its success in its mandate to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS scourge in the country.

    He explained that the book presentation was coming after the release of the National AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) by President Muhammadu Buhari last month. The report showed the AIDS prevalence index had dropped from 3.1 in 100 to 1.4 in 100.

    Okonkwo said: “The HIV/AIDS response in Nigeria has evolved from a stage of denial and complacency, through the establishment and implementation of multisectoral response, to the current state of scale-up of quality comprehensive prevention, care and treatment programs for infected and affected persons in Nigeria.”

    He added that the gains of this enhanced and focused programing were evidenced in the reports of the last NAIIS, which showed marked reduction in both prevalence and burden of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

    After starting as a project of the Harvard University School of Public Health in 2001, APIN became a wholly Nigerian international NGO with diplomatic status in 2008. Due to the United States government policy to transfer ownership its implementing partners, Harvard began the transition from 2010 and completed it in 2012 and thus APIN became the first indigenous entity to accomplish the objective of the U.S government.

  • New book confirms reduction in Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS prevalence

    A new book to be released to the public this week by the AIDS Prevention Initiative for Nigeria (APIN) has confirmed a reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria.

    The APIN Public Health Initiatives, a non-governmental organisation, which began as a project of Harvard School of Public Health, committed to fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge in the country, will hold a public presentation of its new book, Turning the Tide: AIDS in Nigeria.

    The book documents the giant strides the international NGO has recorded in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria in the last 13 years. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will be the special guest of honour, while Prof Isaac Adewole, minister of health, will be the chief host at the event, which holds on Thursday April 11 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

    While speaking to reporters at a pre-event media briefing, Dr. Prosper Okonkwo, Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, said the book presentation is not just a major milestone in the history of the organisation and its contribution to public health in the country, but a demonstration of its success in its mandate to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS scourge in Nigeria. He explained that it is not out of place that the book presentation is coming after the release of the National AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) by President Muhammadu Buhari last month. According to NAIIS findings, Nigeria’s AIDS prevalence index has dropped from 3.1 in 100 to 1.4 in 100. This, Okonkwo said, means the HIV/AIDS scourge has evolved from state of denial to quality and comprehensive treatment and prevention.

    “One of the things APIN has done which we have not taken credit for is that from the beginning we have been associated with the academic community and most of our works have been directed at that direction. When we started, we tagged our work: ‘AIDS in Nigeria: A Nation at Threshold. 13 years after, we say ‘Turning the Tide: AIDS in Nigeria’. It would have been indicting on us if the result of this survey had come and there was no indication that the tide was indeed turning. We are very happy that this book, which is 551 pages, is coming at this time because it documents what the national response has been which led to this reduction,” Okonkwo stated.

    He said he is professionally fulfilled that the HIV/AIDS response in Nigeria has evolved from a stage of denial and complacency, through the establishment and implementation of multi-sectoral response, to the current state of scale-up of quality comprehensive prevention, care and treatment programmes for infected and affected persons in Nigeria. As far as he is concerned, the gains of the focused HIV/AIDS programing are evidenced in the recently released NAIIS reports, which showed marked reduction in both prevalence and burden of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

    “Ironically, we started the book three years ago and the survey was from July to December last year. So there was no connection, but the result of the survey has shown that we have indeed made some impact in HIV/AIDS reduction in Nigeria. We knew that on the field, things are happening but the figures we are getting were not congruent with our efforts,” the public health expert stated.

    The survey itself, according to Okonkwo, was carried out not just by estimation but through empirically discernible house to house survey. “Before now, estimates have been used to say this is the number of patients we needed to treat in Nigeria and these estimates were based on what we have done before. The idea was that every other year, they took samples of pregnant women at ante-natal clinics to determine the number of people that needed treatment across Nigeria.

    “But over the years, the numbers were increasing and we were asking: with what we were doing, numbers supposed to be decreasing. And even the people funding us, they were asking if nothing was asking. What we did now is household population based survey. It was like the way we do census. About 200,000 houses were surveyed and we were sure that the statistical methodology for this was very sound.

    “And to make sure that it was reliable, the United Nations Agency for AIDS had to send their chief statistician to validate this result. So it was a not a result that was inconclusive. One thing they found out was that prevalence was reducing. That is the proportion of people like say, out of 100, we now have 1.4. That is 14 out of 1000 people. Before, it was 3.1, which was 31 out of 1000 people,” he said.

  • A’Ibom plans legislation to curb spread of HIV/AIDS

    Worried by its number one position in the HIV/AIDS index in the country, Akwa Ibom state government says it will push for legislation to curb the spread of the dreaded disease and protect infected persons.

    Findings by the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact survey carried out throughout the country in the third and fourth quarter of 2018 revealed that Akwa Ibom State has a HIV prevalence of 5.5% against the National prevalence of 1.4% for the age group 15 to 64years.

    The Commissioner of Health Dr Dominic Ukpong, in a statement in Uyo said the executive arm of government will cause the legislature come up with a law to stem the HIV/AIDS status in the state.

    Ukpong said government will not fold its arms, adding that the state average dropped from 8.8 percent to 5.5 percent from 2014 to 2018.

    “The last nationally accepted HIV survey, prior to the NAIIS survey in 2018 was the ANC SENTINEL study in 2014 and the National prevalence was 3% while Akwa Ibom state prevalence was 10.8%.

    “Arguably as it is being reported that the national prevalence has dropped from 3% (2014) to 1.4% (2018), similarly that of Akwa Ibom State has dropped from 10.8% (2014) to 5.5% (2018). ”

    The commissioner however attributed the high value attached to the state to demographic and cultural factors including its coastal location, friendly environment and friendly disposition of the people.

    “The location of the state with a large coastal front of 129 Km stretching from Ikot Abasi to Oron, an airport, good road network peaceful atmosphere, friendly disposition of our people, good cuisines and fast developing economy has made our state the destination of choice for both national and international visitors.

    “All these are not without attendant public health consequences, like transmission of communicable diseases which HIV/AIDS cannot be excluded,” The statement said.

    The state government Ukpong said would however step up collaboration through the Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS and Akwa Ibom State HIV /AIDS and STI Control Progamme with Implementing Partners, Faith Based Organizations, People Living with HIV/ AIDs, and other stakeholders towards proffering immediate and long term interventions.

    According to the commissioner, the immediate measures would include increasing access to HIV testing services and increasing access to treatment by creating three new comprehensive treatment centres, one in each of the three Senatorial Districts in the State, empowering the State Primary Health Care Development Board to kick-start activities, embarking on state wide community outreaches and enlightenment campaigns to create demand for the uptake of HIV services and srategising for effective intervention among drivers of new infections in line with the new national strategic frame work 2019- 2023.

    The long term measures he said would include advocacy to LGAs and the State Assembly to put in place laws to protect people living with HIV and to curb transmission of new infections, by expeditiously deliberating and passing the bill on Anti Stigma and Discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.

    It would also include initiating the process of developing a bill to prosecute persons found to willfully infect or transmit the virus to other people.