Many Nigerians unaware of their HIV status – US
The U.S. Consul General in Lagos, Mr John Bray, on Monday said that many Nigerians living with HIV were unaware of their status as a result of insufficient HIV testing and counselling centres. Bray, who made the remark in Lagos at an event to mark this year’s World AIDS Day, also noted that people living […]
The U.S. Consul General in Lagos, Mr John Bray, on Monday said that many Nigerians living with HIV were unaware of their status as a result of insufficient HIV testing and counselling centres.
Bray, who made the remark in Lagos at an event to mark this year’s World AIDS Day, also noted that people living with HIV virus had low access to antiretroviral treatment.
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day was “Increasing Impact through Transparency, Accountability and Partnerships.’’
“According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world and has one of the highest new infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Many people living with HIV in Nigeria are unaware of their status due to insufficient recommended number of HIV testing and counselling centres.
“Low access of antiretroviral treatment remains an issue for people living with HIV in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Repressented by the Consulate’s Acting Public Affairs Officer, Mr Kevin Kraft, Bray said that the U.S. had been working with Nigeria, through its President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to save lives globally.
According to him, more than 720,000 Nigerians are currently on PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment.
Bray added that approximately, about four million Nigerians had received HIV counseling and testing services this year.
The consul-general said that HIV prevention messages and activities had reached over 300,000 people identified as most-at-risk, while about 50,000 pregnant women had received antiretroviral drugs.
Bray, who said that the U.S. was “closer to controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic than ever before,’’ added that what seemed impossible years ago had become possible.