She said that despite concerted efforts put in place globally, the most deadly part of the scourge is the discrimination and stigmatization, adding that the only way to reduce this killer disease is to continuously engage in creative research and at the same having save and protected sex.
The CMD said this on Monday during a seminar organized by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba, Lagos to commemorated the World AIDS day and to reflect on the impact of HIV/AIDS on all the regions of the world and every segment of society including women, youth and children and for stakeholders to come together to review the progress achieved so far and reflect on the collective efforts to mobilize resources for the response in Nigeria.
According to Jinadu, who is also the chair person of the seminar, despite the many challenges, trends are improving and areas in need of sustained efforts are testing, treatment and prevention. The target is what has been identified as the three zeros; zero deaths related to HIV/AIDS, zero new infections and zero discrimination.
“One of the key areas the government has continued to beam it searchlight on is the area creative research to come out with more ways to depress and manage HIV/AIDS in the country. Nigeria has made steady progress in combating HIV/AIDS since the Abuja Declaration in 2001. HIV prevalence has declined by about 25 per cent in the last 10 years to 4.1 per cent. The number of persons living with HIV who now access lifesaving treatment has risen by about 97 per cent in the last 10 years – with 500,000 persons now on antiretroviral drugs mostly through the assistance of our development partners.”
Also, the Head of Department, Heamatology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Dr. Sulaiman Akanmu, while speaking on the future of HIV/AIDS during his lecture noted that Nigeria as over the years tried to bring the transmission of HIV/AIDS down, and has been recorded to have singlehandedly managed the scourge in the country through series of test and medical researches.
He noted that as at 1991, the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS was less than one percent, and in 2003, it was 5.8 percent, while today, it has dropped from that to 4.1 percent.
On the progress of the antiviral treatment program in the country, he was of the view that the anti viral treatment program in Nigeria is indeed on course in the country and the government, during the Olusegun Obasanjo regime, has been proactive in it’s ways to treat 10,000 adults and 5,000 children living with HIV/AIDS in the country with just nine treatment centers then, but the achievement has increased from nine to 300 all over the country, that is an achievement.
“When you have a successful treatment program, you will largely reduce the transmission of the disease in the general public, and it has been calculated that for one person treated, there is the tendency that it will reduce further transmission to others”
While Nigeria continued to record success in it campaign against HIV/AIDS, more than two million Nigerians have access to HIV counselling and testing annually. HIV prevalence among young people in Nigeria is also gradually declining.
“I am aware that HIV services are now available to more Nigerians than it was in 2001 and that services are currently being taken to rural communities through the Primary Health Care system,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Dr. Oni Idigbe, who represented the Director General of the NIMR, Dr. Innocent Ujah, was of the view that NIMR has quickly became one of the prime sites for comprehensive HIV care, treatment and support as a result of dedication and commitment of staff.
Idigbe said that a level progress has been achieved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but the global economic downturn and consequent donor fatigue was impacting negatively on ongoing efforts.
He stressed the need for to scale up services to ensure that all infected persons are identified and enrolled into care and that all who are eligible for ARVs are getting them regularly and consistently.
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