HIV/AIDS: Despite setbacks, Nigeria makes progress

With donor agencies cutting back on services they provide, especially when they are the largest funders, many persons with the virus are wondering if the Federal Government is serious about controlling the spread of the virus.The National Coordinator of NEPWHAN (Network of People living with the AIDS in Nigeria) Edward Ogenyi has in recent past […]

With donor agencies cutting back on services they provide, especially when they are the largest funders, many persons with the virus are wondering if the Federal Government is serious about controlling the spread of the virus.
The National Coordinator of NEPWHAN (Network of People living with the AIDS in Nigeria) Edward Ogenyi has in recent past made calls on the government to live up to its commitment and release the monies meant to fund the national response.
According to him most of his members are dying because they are unable to pay for laboratory tests and access drugs in  many states across the federation.
However despite these setbacks there has been a steady decline in the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in the past five years.
Investigations conducted independently by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Health Systems Strengthening, Integrated Biological and Behavioral Sentinel Survey and Federal Ministry of Health revealed a 54 per cent reduction in the estimated incidence of HIV in Nigeria between 2003 and 2013 – from 46 % in 2003 to 21 % in 2013.
The report reveals that new HIV infections have been decreasing since 2003 when it stood at 348,564.
In 2013 the rate of new infections dropped to 220,394.
Also, HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged between 15 – 25 years dropped by 33.3% – from 6% in 2001 to 4.10% in 2010.
Though the national response has had its different challenges with  its roots in funding gaps it received a little boost with the signing of the Anti-Stigma Law by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
These stakeholders believe is a clear sign of Nigeria’s commitment at stopping stigmatisation and discrimination targeted at people living with HIV and AIDS.
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko said that this landmark legislation makes provisions for the prevention of HIV-related discrimination and for access to healthcare and other services. It also provides for protection of the human rights and dignity of people living with HIV and those affected by AIDS in Nigeria.
His words, “It is particularly encouraging that all acts of discrimination against people living with HIV such as recruitment and termination of employment, denial of access to services like healthcare, education, association and other social services will be quickly reduced and ultimately ended”.
Professor John Idoko reasoned that the law will help more Nigerians to seek testing, treatment and care services without fear of facing stigma and discrimination.”
The Anti-Stigma Law is only the latest important addition to Nigeria’s commitment to ending the AIDS by 2030.  Data made available by NACA, as well as the Federal Ministry of Health and partners like UNAIDS, points to an incremental rise in successes in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
A point agreed upon by the Country Director for Nigeria and UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS, Dr Bilali Camara, saying, “This law is a big boost to improving Nigeria’s AIDS response because it gives back human rights and dignity to people living with or affected by HIV.
“The law will also ensure that Nigeria ends the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” Camara said.
The UNAIDS Country Director said the number of HIV infections in Nigeria has declined by 35 per cent and the country is now making efforts to stop new infections.
 He also said that the number of prevention of mother-to-child transmission centres had increased from 675 in 2010 to 5,622 in 2013.
 “With this Anti-Discrimination Law, I am confident that Nigeria will be able to accelerate the AIDS response dramatically in the coming months.
 “They should also add their trusted voices to the call for more compassion, tolerance and peace for people living with or affected by HIV in Nigeria,” the statement quoted Camara as saying.
The data reveals that between 2005 and 2013, Nigeria’s policies and actions have led to the decline of new HIV infections in Nigeria by 35 per cent and remains in tandem with other sub-saharan countries registering declines in new infections, like Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.
Getting tested for HIV remains the foremost step in the fight against AIDS. Nigeria has realised exponential growth in the number of testing HIV counselling and testing sites from 1,000 in 2009 to over 7,000 sites by end of 2013 says the NACA boss.
He explained that the the sites are allowing more and more Nigerians know their status and those that are HIV positive to seek treatment and live a dignified productive life.
In 2014, over seven million Nigeria received HIV testing and counselling
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART increased from 132,438 in 2007 to 659,397 in 2013.
The data also showed that at some point in 2009, the number of new HIV infections was 306,862 while 302,297 were on ART almost the tipping point in the Nigeria HIV epidemic. By 2013 new infections dropped to 220,394 far less than 639,397 who were on ART.
 The number of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Sites in Nigeria increased from 230 in 2006 to 1410 in 2012 and 5622 in 2013.
According to the report the number of pregnant women who were counselled, tested and received results increased from 300,100 in 2006 to 1,181,296 in 2012, rising sharply to 1,706,524 in 2013, while the number of HIV positive pregnant women on ART increased from 12,993 in 2006 to 57,871 in 2013.
In 2013, the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan launched the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS (PCRP) to accelerate the achievement of targets of key interventions against HIV.  
Also the Federal Government through the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) and other programmes initiated health system strengthening projects that are critical to achieving the universal access to antiretroviral drugs and the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in various communities.
The new National Operational Plan for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria 2015-2016 will further help the country to take a more focused approach towards the elimination of mother to child transmission and keeping mothers alive by 2020.