Jonathan’s HIV plan targets 600,000 for treatment

A beefed-up response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria could see an extra 600,000 adults and children enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART), says President Goodluck Jonathan. He announced what he called the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) to speed up implementation of interventions in hopes ofaddressing challenges in how HIV/AIDS services are delivered. PCRP plans to provide […]

A beefed-up response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria could see an extra 600,000 adults and children enrolled in antiretroviral therapy (ART), says President Goodluck Jonathan.

He announced what he called the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) to speed up implementation of interventions in hopes of
addressing challenges in how HIV/AIDS services are delivered.

PCRP plans to provide ART for 244,000 pregnant women positive to HIV, the president said Tuesday morning in a meeting with AIDS Watch
Africa, which monitors the implementation of HIV programmes on the continent.

At least 2,000 new service points each for ART and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV will be activated, he said.

Combined prevention services will target some four million people and at least 500,000 people categorised as most-at-risk populations.

Most-at-risk populations are groups with highest exposure to HIV—including intravenous drug users, sex workers and long distance
drivers and men who have sex with men.

Under the plan, up to 80 million people aged, 15 and older will be availed “knowledge of their HIV status,” said the president.

“In putting this plan together, we were guided by a number of necessary questions: since 2001, how well have we fared? What have we
left undone? How best can our response system be improved in line with global standards?”

Of 1.6 million people with HIV eligible for treatment, only 491,021 could get treatment by last December.