The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to improving the health of Nigerians.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, who made this known at the sixth National Council on AIDS in Abuja, said government would continue to confront and address challenges affecting HIV services that constitute a key barrier to accessing HIV treatment.
Represented by Dr Nnamdi Mbaeri, permanent secretary, General Services Office, OSGF, Mustapha affirmed Federal Government’s renewed commitment to ending HIV, saying it was reinforced by placing additional 50,000 persons on treatment annually.
He added that government would continue to finance the treatment of the additional 50,000 persons, noting that governments at sub-national levels were variously evolving innovative approaches to sustainable health financing, including health insurance.
He explained that government would continue to encourage HIV/AIDS services to demonstrate ownership and assurance to sustainable HIV response.
He recalled that the Federal Government, through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in collaboration with the organised private sector recently launched a N62 billion private sector-driven HIV/AIDS Trust Fund.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said that the world had recorded great improvements in HIV prevention, treatment and care over the last two decades due to strengthened global and regional response to the scourge.
Ehanire, who was represented by Dr. Alex Okoh, said such development led to reduction in the number of new infections across the world.
He, however, expressed concern over the rate of new infections among young people and babies born to HIV positive women, especially in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The minister said that the goals that no child in Nigeria should be born HIV positive and zero new infections informed the theme for this year’s National Council on AIDS: “Innovative Approaches toward HIV Epidemic Control and Programme Sustainability at State Level.”
He commended stakeholders and partners for their collaboration toward controlling the spread of the virus, especially the U.S.
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Global Fund, Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the private sector.
According to him, the National AIDS Indicator and Impact Study (NAIIS) in 2018 rebased the HIV epidemic in Nigeria, resulting in HIV prevalence reduction from 3.4 per cent to 1.3 per cent.
