Categories: Health

FG: Over 1.6 Million Nigerians Now on HIV Treatment

The federal government has said it has been able to put 1,619,133 persons living with HIV on regular treatment.
The number represents 98 per cent of the population that had tested positive to the virus.

It said based on the findings it made, government was working towards expanding the points of service from the current 6,000 to about 40,000 locations identified in the mapping across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Gambo Aliyu who gave an update on government’s efforts, described the achievement as a significant leap when compared to 838,020 persons captured in the treatment net in 2017.
Addressing stakeholders and the media at a press conference to flag off this year’s World AIDS Day in Abuja, Aliyu said the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day which was, “Equalise to End AIDS: Equal Access to Treatment and Prevention Services,” seeks to end unequal access to HIV prevention and treatment among vulnerable population groups.

He said the objective was to promote equal access across population that were marginalised, among the vulnerable and key affected population groups by removing economic, social, cultural and legal barriers to HIV prevention services across population groups that are vulnerable to HIV.

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According to the NACA boss, Nigeria’s success story was evident from the significant dip in the HIV prevalence of 3.4 per cent in 2017, to a population based prevalence of 1.3 percent in 2018

“As at the end of September 2022 we have 1,619,133 persons on treatment, which represents a significant leap when compared to 838,020 persons in 2017.
“Our treatment sites have increased from 251 in 2007 to 2,262 in 2020,” he said.

Aliyu disclosed that new HIV infections have gradually declined from 103,404 in 2019, to 92,323 in 2021.

He added that significant growth in key population treatment centres have risen from 10 in 2017, with a coverage of 16,147 to 118 in 2021 with coverage of over 221,010

Also, he said pre-COVID 19 Molecular laboratory assessment done in 27 sites was now in over 100 sites accessible for prevention and treatment purposes
In the same vein, Aliyu said through Alignment 2.0 HIV prevention and treatment was now shifting ownership to states while guaranteeing continued partnership and support from Donors
He noted that the launch of N62 billion Trust Fund of Nigeria (HTFN) was a further step towards sustained country level funding and ownership of the national response.

Trends Admin