It still remains one of the world’s dreaded diseases that threaten human life. ELEOJO IDACHABA in this piece stresses the need to intensify campaign against HIV/AIDS.
From the late 80s to date, the dreaded Human Immune Deficiency Syndrome also known as HIV had been a major pandemic that threatened human existence even though there had been incidences of other dreaded diseases like polio, bird flu, Ebola and lately Covid-19 in all its variants.
As at 1998, deaths as a result of HIV was put at 30 percent compared to deaths from other ailments. Mostly affected were young adults in their active sexual age and a few older ones. It was such a nightmare that the Nigerian government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 elevated the erstwhile National Action Committee on AIDS into a full, autonomous agency known as National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and controlling its spread in the country. From 2000 till date, Blueprint Weekend investigation shows that not only has the agency reduced the spread, it also ensured that treatments are made available to carriers with little or no stigma attached unlike before.
However, while counting the lofty gains in the fight against this disease, lately, government seems to have diverted attention to other ailments at the detriment of the fight against HIV such that concerns have started to mount with the recent spate of infection.
Therefore, while marking the 2021 World AIDS Day in Nigeria, attention was drawn to the reality that HIV still poses a deadly risk to individuals with risky sexual lifestyle despite the availability of retroviral drugs. That was why the theme, ‘End Inequalities; End HIV’ was carefully chosen to reflect the moment.
According to reports, World AIDS Day was first held in 1988. So far, more than 37m people are currently living with the disease and about 35m have died of the sickness, making it one of the most destructive plagues in human history.
We’ll fight it together – Biden
The US president, Joe Biden, while reflecting on this year’s theme, said, “For decades, World AIDS Day has been recognised as an opportunity for people around the world to stand together in the fight against HIV.
“This year, we are focusing on addressing health inequities and inequalities and ensuring that the voices of people with HIV are at the centre of our works to end the HIV epidemic globally.
“While we have made remarkable progress in the 40 years since the first-known reported case of AIDS, this disease remains a serious public health challenge and we join the international community’s to honour and remember the more than 36 million people, including 700,000 Americans who have tragically died from AIDS-related illness since the start of the epidemic.
“We also renew our commitment to stand with the nearly 38 million people living with HIV around the world as we pursue our shared goal of ending the HIV epidemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the challenges our heroic healthcare and frontline workers face, yet they continue to deliver essential HIV prevention services and provide vital care and treatment to people living with HIV.
“The pandemic has also interrupted HIV research and highlighted the work that still remains to achieve equitable access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment in every community — particularly for communities of colour, adolescent girls and young women and the LGBTQI+ community.”
According to him, “Ending the HIV epidemic is within our reach and we are committed to finishing this work. On World AIDS Day, we rededicate ourselves to building on the progress of the last four decades; upholding and advancing human rights, supporting research, science, and data-driven solutions, expanding access to housing, education and economic empowerment and fighting stigma and discrimination.
“No one living with HIV should suffer the undeserved guilt and prejudice that too many continue to experience. We must innovate and explore new ways to help address HIV/AIDS in communities here at home and around the world.”
US Mission on HIV/AIDS
In the same vein, the US Mission in Nigeria pledged its support for victims of HIV/AIDS as the country joined the rest of the world to mark the 2021 edition.
It, according to a statement, stated that, “The US Mission in Nigeria recognises and honours those we have lost to HIV/AIDS and the resiliency of those who fight for epidemic control in Nigeria.
“The United States is committed to leading the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, becoming an arsenal of vaccines for the world and helping every country build back better. At the same time, we continue to lead global efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
“This theme for this year reflects the US government’s strong bipartisan commitment to ending the HIV epidemic globally and in the U.S.
“It further highlights the ongoing efforts of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to assist countries in achieving sustained epidemic control of HIV by supporting equitable health services and solutions, enduring national health systems and capabilities, and lasting collaborations.
“It also conveys PEPFAR’s deep commitment to ensure that the diverse voices of all affected ages, genders and population groups are heard and valued in the global AIDS response.
“While still facing unprecedented challenges including COVID-19 pandemic, PEPFAR-supported programmes have safely ensured access to HIV services, including core prevention services that were affected by early COVID-19 mitigation measures.
“Through PEPFAR, the US government has saved more than 20 million lives, prevented millions of HIV infections and supported many countries to reach epidemic control of HIV.
“In Nigeria, PEPFAR has invested more than $6 billion in the national HIV/AIDS response. Some measures of our success include more than 1.6 million women and children currently on HIV treatment. In 2021 alone, more than 10 million people have received HIV counselling and testing services. Approximately 1.5 million pregnant women received HIV testing and counselling towards prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. More than 1.6 million people living with HIV received support to improve quality of life, including TB/HIV care services and about 850 thousand orphans and vulnerable children received care and support services.
“PEPFAR-supported public health, clinical and laboratory platforms have helped Nigeria to keep Ebola virus disease, H1N1 and other deadly diseases from raging out of control and are significantly aiding the Nigeria COVID19 response, while advancing the Nigeria HIV/AIDS response.”
Help from the private sector
As part of the celebration in Nigeria, a group, Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, has distributed one million condoms in states across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
Addressing beneficiaries/participants in Abuja during a sensitisation campaign organised by AHF for FCT residents at Wuse market, AHF Nigeria country programme director, Dr. Echey Ijezie, said there was a need for Nigeria and the world to tackle the other pandemic as HIV and AIDS have been affecting the world for over 30 years.
According to him, “The reason behind the celebration of World AIDS Day on December 1 every year is to draw attention to the pandemic. The world has been battling the Covid-19 pandemic since last year, but the AIDS pandemic has been with humanity for over 30 years now. Therefore, the world must continue to remember all who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses and honour those who are carrying on the fight.
Speaking further, he said, “As you can see, we are offering free HIV testing, counseling and free distribution of condoms. The idea is for Nigerians to know their HIV status and get adequate medical attention.
“Everything is free, including the drugs for infected patients. Therefore, we urge Nigerians to partner AHF in tackling this AIDS pandemic by protecting themselves against the disease and also getting adequate medical attention.”
Also speaking, the advocacy and marketing manager, AHF Nigeria, Mr. Steve Aborisade, said the activities earmarked to celebrate the day would hold simultaneously in seven states across the country, 13 countries in Africa and 45 countries in the world.
“For the celebration today, we are distributing one million condoms to seven states across the country. We are also offering free HIV testing and counseling. The target is to make sure that we combat the AIDS pandemic and drastically reduce the rate of infection through sensitisation for everyone to know his or her status for medical attention,” he said.
The concern
According to a Blueprint editorial, the recent spike in infection is worrisome.
“Last year alone, over two million people were sucked in by the virus worldwide – averaging 230 every hour and 5,600 daily – while about 1.2 million died of the infection.
“About 9.4 million are not even aware of being carriers of the virus. Of the 37 million people living with HIV, over 25.8million are located in sub-Saharan Africa where poverty holds sway with about 790,000 adults and children killed on the average yearly since 2014, accounting for about 66 per cent global deaths. About 1.4m people became newly infected annually. In contrast, only 85,000 new cases were recorded in the advanced Western and Central Europe and North America with only 26,000 deaths in 2014.
“Nigeria, through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its state counterparts have keyed into the global endeavour. Presently, there are over 3.4 million Nigerians sickened by the killer virus with women accounting for 58 per cent. The country has made significant leap away from the obstacles that initially made the war against the disease very difficult to confront, one of them being the stigmatisation of those infected. But this has reduced drastically, enabling many sufferers, known as PLWA (people living with HIV/AIDS), to be gainfully employed and fend for themselves and their families. The federal and state governments, NACA, reputable global organisations and philanthropists deserve commendation in this regard.
“Also worthy of commendation is the global resolve to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending the epidemic by 2030.”
Govt’s stand
In the meantime, the secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has assured of the government’s total commitment towards a total eradication of the scourge in the country while also giving the assurance that the government would ensure that henceforth, no child is born with HIV positive status in the country anymore. He stated it during the inauguration of the 2021 World AIDS Day celebration in Abuja.
In another development, Mustapha reiterated the determination of the present administration to funding the treatment of both old and new cases of people living with HIV and AIDS.
He said it was government’s intention to achieve this by sustaining HIV response across the country and increasing HIV funding at national and state levels.
“Governors are recently committed to earmark between 0.5 per cent to one per cent of their states’ monthly federal allocation to address the unmet needs for HIV and AIDS in their respective states,” he said.
