Nigeria has recorded significant reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

Nigeria has recorded significant reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence. According to the Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, “we have recorded a fall in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS from 5.8 percent in 2001 to 4.24 percent in 2008, doubled treatment of patients from 16.7 percent in 2007 to 34.49 percent in 2008. We have trained 944 HIV/AIDS counselors in 472 primary health care centres and established 370 new Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites in all the states, including the federal capital.” All the same, the new initiative is good provided that the intentions are matched by action. Now that the government is waking up to the stark reality that HIV is affecting a lot of people, this is the time to devote more resources in tackling the health challenge. Let the government’s resolve on this go beyond mere intention. Let the outcome be measurable as well. Since the drugs are accessed free, effort should be made to ensure that the treatment sites are expanded, especially in rural areas so that those in need of the ARV drugs can access them with great ease. We say this because the current treatment sites at 1,198 are inadequate for the over 850,000 people that live with the virus in the country. Government should publicise the new initiative so that many Nigerians, especially those living with HIV can be aware of the new approaches and strategies to contain the disease. People living with the virus should not be discriminated against or stigmatized. Doing so would greatly undermine all efforts to halt the spread of the disease. In the fight against the pandemic, efforts should be geared towards the preventive in addition to other methods. In fact, a holistic approach to the problem can be more effective. As scientists continue to search for cure of the scourge, let us not give up on local efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS problems.

The planned move by the Federal Government to halt the sp

The planned move by the Federal Government to halt the spread of the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and achieve universal access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs by people living with the virus by 2015 is commendable.

Under the plan, more than 850,000 Nigerians living with the virus and who are in dire need of ARV drugs will have access to treatment.
According to the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko, “our common goal is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV by 2015 and in so doing also contribute to the developmental goals of the nation including Vision 20-2020.”
NACA wants to ensure that HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services reach all who need them.
Available records from NACA show that there are 2.9 million Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS and only about 400,000 of the 850,000 that need treatment are currently accessing it. Currently, there are about 1,198 treatment sites spread across the country where those living with the virus can access treatment.
This measure is good in view of the fact that the world is yet to win the war against the pandemic. The 2008 statistics on the disease released by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that there are now 33.4 million people living with HIV while an estimated 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus.
About two million people also died of AIDS in 2008.The WHO figures show that the Sub-Saharan Africa still remains the region most heavily affected by HIV. In 2008, the region accounted for 67 percent of HIV infections worldwide, 68 percent of new infections among adults as well as 91 percent of new infections among children. It accounted for 72 percent of the world’s AIDS-related deaths in 2008.