Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has noted the miserable conditions of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, as well as the high number of people dying daily from AIDS related complications due to lack of access to antiretroviral drugs.
According to a press statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Association, Edward Ogenyi, and the Public Relations Officer, Samaila Garba, only 649, 000 HIV positive persons out of 1.8 million people that are eligible for treatment are currently accessing anti retroviral drugs and this represents only 30 percent of the national need.
The statement further noted that despite the huge investment made till date to stem the tide of the epidemic, about 20,000 people die of AIDS related complications monthly in Nigeria.
According to the press statement, President Goodluck Jonathan has requested for the development of the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) to bridge the existing treatment access gaps.
Specifically, the PCRP aims to avail 80 million Nigerians the knowledge of their HIV state; enroll an additional 600,000 eligible adults and children on ART; provide ART for 244,000 HIV pregnant women for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), provide access to combination prevention services for 500,000 most at risks population, MARPs, activate 2, 000 new PMTCT and 2000 ART service delivery points across the country.
Ogenyi stated that even though the President has stood up squarely to the challenges that he clearly identified, people living with HIV/AIDS have observed, that none of the indicators/targets set for the PCRP has been achieved to date, due to lack of release of fund for HIV/AIDS.
Ogenyi said: “Out of N140 billion budgeted for implementation of PCRP in 2014, only N8 billion; representing less than 5.7 per cent of the estimated budget, was appropriated for HIV/AIDS under the SURE-P which we hear is now targeted only to Taraba and Abia states.
People living with HIV/AIDS now pay before they could be enrolled into treatment programme, including payment for basic laboratory investigations.
Ogenyi urged the federal government to fund the implementation of the PCRP in order to urgently bridge the existing HIV/AIDS service access gaps and thereby save the lives of 1.2 million Nigerians that urgently needed antiretroviral drugs and accompanying services.
