By Rose Ejembi
Stakeholders have harped on the need to ensure equal access to HIV services while prioritizing youths in HIV response to end AIDS.
This came to the fore in Abuja, during a program organized by AIDS HealthCare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with various key stakeholders to commemorate the 2022 World AIDS Day (WAD).
Stakeholders at the event included UNAIDS, NACA, UNICEF, Association of Positive Youths (APYIN), Positive Access for Treatment Access (PATA), and Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
The WAD is celebrated annually on December 1, to address inequalities which are holding back progress in ending the AIDS scourge.
Speaking at the event, Country Programme Director, AHF Nigeria, Dr Echey Ijezie, posited that this year’s global theme for WAD, ‘Equalize to end AIDS was apt even as he enjoined government and all stakeholders to intensify efforts in order to achieve an end to AIDS.
“We at AHF are lending our voice by saying it is not over yet. We want to ensure there is equal access to treatment, inequalities are eradicated, and whatever barriers that are there are removed, so that everyone can access treatment services, as we are also reminding the general public that HIV is still with us.
“A lot of successes have been made and we want to thank all relevant stakeholders for their significant role in ensuring that there have been a significant downwards trend especially in Nigeria.”
On her part, Health Manager, in charge of Adolescents, Health, and HIV programming UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Victoria Isiramen said it was pertinent to prioritize adolescents and young people in the HIV response in Nigeria.
She added that the response became important to address key issues that affect the age group between the ages of 10 to 24 years, adding that, “if we want a generation and a future that is secured, then we need to invest in young people.
“We have about 70 million of these groups of people in Nigeria, and that is a huge population with peculiar character. They are young, they are growing, they are in their behavioural stimulation stage and they need to develop in a proper way, they need to be skilled and empowered.”
While disclosing that available data has showing that of the 7,600 new infections that occured in young people in 2021, 6,800 of them are girls, while less than 1 million are boys, Isiramen said Nigeria has a strategic plan to ensure zero new infections, zero stigma and discrimination especially in young girls.
“So, if we invest more in girls, we secure her future, we secure her future partner and the life of the child she will give birth to. This is a call to Nigeria as a country; we have gone a long way in HIV response, we have good plans, now we need to implement with our monies, energy and commitment,” she said.
Strategic Information Admin, UNAIDS, Dr Takpa Koubaguine in a remark stated that the theme of the event was to give chance to everybody to access their health right, HIV prevention and treatment.
“Equalise also means identifying different barriers to access all programmes and services, such as environmental barriers, legal barriers and programme barriers.
“Today we have all the tools, we have all the technology and science has proven that the treatment of HIV is effective to suppress the virus, so there is no need to have new infections,’’ he added.
Also, Deputy Director Prevention and Social Behaviour Change Communicator, NACA, Dr Daniel Ndukwe, while revealing that the Agency was presently reviewing the National Strategic Plan for the country, explained that the new plan was better, with more informed response than the previous one, as according to him, the new plan has a gender dimension to HIV.
“Women are less empowered, they are also less empowered to negotiate safe sex. Some women might need the permission of the man to go to health facilities. Also the woman might have a man that is infected with HIV and may hide it,” he said.
He however averred that the National response has a human right response that was mainstreamed into all activities, which helps to identify structural barriers across all part of the country.