The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Michel Sidibé

  • ‘Nigeria, fourth country with highest HIV/AIDS victims’

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Thursday said Nigeria had been ranked the 4th country with the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.

    Adewole disclosed this during the presidential unveiling of the 2018 Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) result at the Banquet Hall of Aso Rock, Presidential villa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the goal of the survey was to examine the distribution of HIV disease and commodities in Nigeria and assess the coverage.

    Also to ascertain the impact of HIV services on the population level and to measure HIV related risk behaviours using a nationally representative sample.

    The survey was conducted within nine months as it commenced June through December 2018 in the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory.

    The result of the survey presented stated that HIV prevalence estimates varied across Nigeria with the highest prevalence in South South zone and the lowest prevalence in North West zone.

    The survey presented for each geopolitical zone in the country for prevalence among persons age 15-64 years reads: North Central 2.1 per cent; North East 1.1 per cent; North West 0.6 per cent; South East 1.9 per cent; South-South 3.1 per cent, and South West 1.2 per cent.

    Also, it was reported that almost half of people living with HIV in Nigeria achieved viral suppression.

    Adewole said this improvement was possible due to the huge committee the present administration had channelled towards the eradication of the disease.

    He said that South Africa, India and Mozambique were ranked ahead of Nigeria with the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.

    According to him, the results of this survey will guide and inform government policies, strategies and programmes on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C.

    “I want to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari, public and private organisations, the U.S. Government that supported the survey and Nigerians for their cooperation during the survey.

    “I want to also seize this opportunity to pay tribute to those who died during the process of the survey.

    “Nigeria has moved from being the second country with the highest number of people living with AIDS which was ranked in 2014 with 3.1 million infected people but now fourth country with about 1.9 million people living with the scourge.

    “From the 1.9 million Nigerians, over 1 million are currently on the live saving treatment,” he said.

    Dr Sani Aliyu, the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), said that the generated survey would be taken to state governors who would be advised to latch on it to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their states.

    He said the survey was the best in the world because of the non-interference policy employed and the use of better quality laboratories.

    According to him, NAIIS is the largest HIV/AIDS specific single country survey ever done in the world which is truly representative of the entire population.

    He noted that the U.S had also assisted the organisation in its goal of eradicating AIDS in the country as it supported Nigeria with $70 million to undertake the survey.

    “We will ensure that we focus our efforts on ensuring those infected with HIV achieve viral suppression, minimising the risk of HIV transmission and moving Nigeria closer to controlling the HIV epidemic.

    “We truly appreciate the effort of organisations which have supported this survey and made it a reality, we look forward to more collaboration to ensure we achieve 2030 target of eradicating the epidemic.

    “I appreciate Mr President for adequate funding of the survey which was done in the most efficient manner and it is the largest survey done in nine months.

    “Also, we thank the United States of America for assisting us to ensure our goals are achieved,” he said.

    Aliyu assured that the survey would provide programme managers and policy makers with a more detailed and specific understanding of HIV epidemic in the country.

    He said this would guide the scale up of treatment and prevention services across all age groups.

    Mr Michel Sidibe, the Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), commended NAIIS for a job well done, noting that the result of the survey will be a game changer for Nigeria.

     

  • UNAIDS lauds Swaziland on achieving 73% HIV viral load suppression

    UNAIDS lauds Swaziland on achieving 73% HIV viral load suppression

    The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has congratulated the Kingdom of Swaziland on achieving over 73 per cent viral load suppression among adults living with HIV and a major reduction in HIV incidence between 2011 and 2016.

    The UN HIV/AIDS agency said in a statement that new study showed the viral load suppression, congratulating U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for its unwavering commitment to the global AIDS response.

    “UNAIDS congratulates the Kingdom of Swaziland on the findings of the Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey (SHIMS 2) announced by Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini today in Mbabane, Swaziland that 73 per cent of the adult population aged 15 years and older are virally suppressed.”

    UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé said “this figure is made up of 76 per cent of adult women and 68 per cent of adult men.

    “The survey, part of the Public Health Impact Assessments (PHIA), was conducted with funding from United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

    “Swaziland has demonstrated to the world that shared responsibility and global solidarity produces results.

    “Working together with PEPFAR and partners, Swaziland is saving lives and on track to control the epidemic.”

    SHIMS 2 findings on viral load suppression among adults of 15 years and older of 73 per cent affirms UNAIDS estimates of 68 per cent.

    Compared to the 2011 SHIMS1 survey which had a similar design, the survey results suggest that the rate of new HIV infections among adults (ages 18 to 49 years) has decreased by half from 2.5 per cent in 2011 to 1.4 per cent in 2016 (2.0 per cent for adult women and 0.9 per cent for adult men).

    This is similar to the decline in incidence among adult ages 15 to 49 as published by UNAIDS, from 2.5 per cent in 2011 to 1.7 per cent in 2016, it said.

    In 2016, UNAIDS estimated that 220,000 people were living with HIV in Swaziland, and that new HIV infections were reduced from 12,000 in 2011 to 8,800 in 2016.

    Prevention of mother to child coverage in Swaziland has been between 90 and 100 per cent since 2011 and was estimated to be 95 per cent (81 per cent to less than 95 per cent) in 2016.

    As a result, fewer than 1,000 children became infected with HIV in Swaziland in 2016, the UNAIDS chief said.

    “UNAIDS welcomes the Swaziland PHIA results as further affirmation of the validity and accuracy of our modelling estimates,” Sidibé said.

    In addition to the Swaziland survey, similar data from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe were gathered through critical household surveys, in collaboration with local governmental and non-governmental partners in 2016.

    PEPFAR works with more than 50 countries, to maintain access to life-saving treatment, provide services for orphans and vulnerable children, ensure that the most vulnerable and key populations have access to services to prevent and treat HIV and accelerate progress toward the end of the AIDS epidemic.

  • US still committed to global funding of HIV/AIDS campaign – Official

    US still committed to global funding of HIV/AIDS campaign – Official

    Deborah Birx, the US Global AIDS Coordinator, says her country is still deeply committed to global funding of the campaign against the pandemic.

    She gave the assurance  at the ongoing International AIDS Society  Conference on HIV Science  in Paris, France.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Birx was reacting  to  fears of a possible cut  in  global funding of the HIV/AIDS campaign  by the Donald Trump administration.

    NAN  also reports  that some experts had  expressed fears  of a possible retrogression in the gains recorded so far in the bid to achieving the vision 90:90:90.

    “The US is deeply committed to global funding and the increasing commitment to global funding is absolutely essential,’’ she said.

    Michel Sidibe, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS),  said global funding  had brought much gains to  HIV programmes across countries.

    “We are breaking the backbone of the HIV epidemic.

    “There are 19.5 million HIV-infected persons on treatment today globally and this has increased the reduction in mortality rate by no less than 50 percent.

    “I have met the senators in the US and some other stakeholders. I can tell you that they all support the programmes,” he said.

    Sidibe said that there was need to think about transition and sustainable plans, noting that  there should be alternative funding of the programmes in the coming years.

    The director stated that any cut in  global funding would jeopardise the efforts and gains recorded so far in the treatment of HIV-infected persons and research works.

    “A cut in  global funding will affect vulnerable countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa due to financial gap,’’ he said.

    NAN also reports that  Prof. Agnes Buzyn, France Minister of Solidarity and Health,  had pledged the commitment of the French government to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

    Buzyn had at the opening ceremony of  the conference  on Sunday evening stated that  France remained the second largest contributor to global funds.

    The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, a co-discoverer of  the HIV and Nobel Laureate.

    The conference, which began on Sunday,  would end on Wednesday.

  • UNAIDS tasks Nigeria on reduction of HIV-associated TB deaths

    The Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), has urged Nigeriaand seven other countries to scale up action to reduce the number of tuberculosis (TB) deaths among HIV patients by year 2020.

    The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Michel Sidibé, made the call in a message on World Tuberculosis Day, commemorated annually on March 24.

    Sidibé explained that  Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Mozambique, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia – account for around 70 per cent of all TB deaths among people living with HIV.

    He said scaling up action in these countries would put the world on track to reach the ambitious target in the 2016 UN Political Declaration on Ending AIDS of reducing TB-related deaths.

    Sidibé  said the target is to reduce it by 75 per cent by 2020.

    He said weaknesses in health systems are continuing to result in missed opportunities to diagnose TB among people living with HIV- around 57 per cent of HIV-associated TB cases remained untreated in 2015.

    “TB is the most common cause of hospital admission and death among people living with HIV.

    “In 2015, 1.1 million people died from an AIDS-related illness- around 400,000 of whom died from TB, including 40,000 children.

    “It is unacceptable that so many people living with HIV die from tuberculosis and that most are undiagnosed or untreated.

    “Only by stepping up collaboration between HIV and tuberculosis programmes to accelerate joint action, can the world reach its critical HIV and tuberculosis targets,” he said.

    Inadequate linkages to care after diagnosis, poor tracking of people and loss to follow-up, failure to reach the people most at risk of disease, particularly marginalized populations.

    This he said also includes people who inject drugs, prisoners and migrant workers—and poor treatment outcomes contribute to the lack of progress.

    “In 2014, around 11 per cent of HIV-positive TB patients died, compared with three per cent of HIV-negative TB patients.

    “Early detection and effective treatment are essential to prevent TB-associated deaths, especially among people living with HIV,” he said.

    According to him, drug resistance is also a major concern, adding in 2015, there were an estimated 480,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB.

    Sidibé said the recent approval of two new medicines to treat TB, the first in more than 60 years, is improving the outlook for people with drug-resistant TB.

    “UNAIDS calls for the elimination of TB deaths among people living with HIV and for health systems to be strengthened and services integrated to allow for a more rapid scale-up of HIV and TB programming.

    “Countries must expand HIV prevention and treatment programmes that include regular TB screening, preventive therapy and early treatment, since they are simple, affordable and effective programmes that prevent TB deaths.

    “UNAIDS is continuing to support countries to Fast-Track their efforts to reach the critical 2020 targets of the 2016 Political Declaration.

    “As part of these efforts, UNAIDS is urging countries to intensify action in 35 high-priority countries to accelerate results by implementing focused, high-impact programmes to advance progress in ending the AIDS epidemic.”