Nigeria (Commonwealth Union)_ According to the latest report from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), as many as 1,619,133 Nigerians afflicted with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV are now receiving treatment. Dr. Gambo Aliyu, the NACA Director-General, informed this during a recent press conference in Abuja to mark the arriving World AIDS Day (WAD) with the theme, ‘Equalize to End AIDS: Equal Access to Treatment and Prevention Services’.
According to Dr. Aliyu, the goal of this year’s WAD is to eliminate economic, social, cultural, and legal challenges to HIV prevention programs and promote equal access among the vulnerable and impacted population groups. HIV is a virus that targets the immune system of the body, and if ignored, can result in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The WAD is commemorated yearly on December 1 in order to create awareness, pay tribute to those who have died, and promote greater access to treatment and preventative resources.
According to Dr. Aliyu, Nigeria’s success story is obvious from the considerable decline in HIV prevalence from 3.4% in 2017 to 1.3% in 2018 among the general population. “As of the end of September 2022, we have 1,619,133 individuals on treatment, which represents a significant leap compared to 838,020 individuals in 2017. Our treatment centers have increased from 251 in 2007 to 2,262 in 2020,” he said. “New HIV infections gradually decreased from 103,404 in 2019 to 92,323 in 2021. There has also been significant growth in key population treatment centers, from 10 sites in 2017 with coverage of 16,147 to 118 in 2021 with coverage of over 221,010 individuals.” According to Dr. Aliyu, before COVID-19, there were only 27 molecular laboratory testing centers, but now there are more than 100 sites.
Meanwhile, Dr. Leo Zekeng, the Country Director of UNAIDS, pointed out that new HIV infections have fallen by around 32% and the AIDS-related death rate has declined by approximately 52% globally as a result of testing, treatment, and the ability to live a normal life.
