1.63 million Nigerians on HIV medication – NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has reported that 1.63 million Nigerians are receiving antiretroviral treatment, out of the 1.8 million people living with HIV in the nation.

In a briefing to reporters on Friday ahead of World AIDS Day, the agency’s director-general, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, said that Nigeria has the second-highest rate of HIV infection.

Although Nigeria, like many other nations, has achieved great progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Aliyu noted that much work remains to be done in order to eliminate the disease as a hazard to public health by 2030.

According to him, 42% of HIV-positive individuals are men and 58% of people with the virus are women.

He said, “The national average of mother-to-child transmission rate of 22% is driven by a large number of states with transmission rates above 25%, and few states with rates below 15%. Nigeria is responsible for about 30% of the world’s gap in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT).”

According to him, it is critical to mobilise community leaders in support of gender-equitable social norms and gender equality in the uptake of HIV prevention, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, treatment, and care services, in keeping with this year’s World AIDS Day theme of “Communities: Leadership to End AIDS by 2030.”

Dr. Aliyu urged all parties involved to recommit to the national HIV/AIDS response.

He said, “Let us bolster community-led initiatives, strengthen partnerships, and champion policies that uphold the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their HIV status.”

According to Amobi Ogah, Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control (ATM), the legislature would strive to allocate funds for the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Abdulkadir Ibrahim, the National Coordinator of the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPHWAN), stated that for any HIV response to be effective, people living with HIV must be at the centre.

He said, “To achieve this, we need to put the community and network at the center of the response. It is also an opportunity to harness the power for such change by putting the people first, and ensuring equal access for all. We also want to close all existing gaps, treatment and prevention services, in other to end the AIDS.”