The national director, HIV/AIDs Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Araoye Segilola, restated the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s commitment to the eradication of HIV/AIDs epidemics by 2030, to reach its zero infection target.
Mr Segilola disclosed this during a scientific roundtable series, in Abuja, organised by the Centre For Integrated Health Program (CIHP) with the theme: “Reaching “zero”, Emerging dynamics of HIV epidemics in Nigeria”.
He said, “Government is concerned about young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, which is over one per cent, because they are the future of the country. We need to do everything humanly possible to eradicate HIV epidemic within that population range.
“We pledge to put patients first in all of our programs with Medicaid and the Health Insurance Exchanges. To do this, we are working with partners to make health care decisions that are best for them,” he said.
In the same vein, CEO of CIHP, Dr Bolanle Oyeledun, said, “Many people living with HIV in Nigeria are not unaware of their status. Nigeria continues to fall short of providing the recommended number of HIV testing and counselling sites.
“Low levels of access to anti retroviral treatment remains the major issue for people living with HIV in the country, meaning that there are still many AIDS-related deaths in Nigeria, due to poor medical treatment.
“This means giving them meaningful information about quality and costs in order for them to be active health care consumers. It also includes supporting innovative approaches to improving quality, accessibility, and affordability,” she said.
