In spite of efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS) have revealed that there is approximately 90, 000 people still living with HIV in the FCT with new infections occurring every day particularly among babies born to HIV positive mothers.
This revelation was made during the inauguration of FCT Management Team for HIV/AIDs Response by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) at Kanem Suite, Utako, Abuja.
UNAIDS Senior Strategic Information Adviser, Masauso Nzima, during the inauguration expressed UN in Nigeria readiness to support the FCT management team to play its role and to scale up HIV interventions in the territory for the good people while acknowledging the achievement of the FCT administration in HIV response.
Nzima, said: “The state management team is essential to scale up HIV related services in the FCT through its coordinating and resource mobilising role because “the current response in the territory is donor driven and therefore unsustainable. Donor fatigue is now setting in at critical period in the epidemic” among other factors.
Nzima revealed that, there is approximately 90, 000 people living with HIV in the FCT with new infections occurring every day particularly among babies born to HIV positive mothers.
“Approximately 40, 000 (Dec. 2013) adults and children living with HIV currently receive ART in the FCT. More children also becoming infected and needing treatment because of the low coverage of PMTCT services”
In his keynote address, Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Ademola Onakomaiya, however noted that in spite of the prevalence of HIV/AIDs among residents of FCT, there has been visible progress in the last five years in the control of the disease.
He said: “the last five years has seen significant progress in the national response to HIV including FCT. The national HIV prevalence has levelled out and started a decline and Nigeria is currently classified as having a stable change in the incidence rate of HIV infection among adults. The effective and increasing access to Anti-Retro viral Treatment (ART) services in FCT has gradually changed the perception and reality of HIV/AIDs infection as a terminal disease to chronic illness requiring regular and sustained care and support”
According to the secretary, many more people are having access to anti retro viral drugs when compared to five years ago and impact of behaviour interventions are beginning to become manifest.
However, in spite of the progress made, FCT remains one of the most burdened states in the country with over 60, 000 people living with HIV, significant gaps in treatment and limited domestic financing of the HIV.
“Our common goal remains ‘to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015’ and in so doing contribute to the attainment of the MDG’s and the National Development Goal including the President’s vision and agenda”
He thanked the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed for setting up of the FCT Management Team for HIV/AIDS response, while also expressing gratitude to UNAIDS and UNICEF for providing funds for the training on HIV Governance and Leadership Programme for members of FCT management team; adding that through this training, the members are better positioned to carry out the task ahead of them.
“The FCT administration is studying the communique issued by members of his team on the modalities of its implementation,” he said.
He called on all stakeholders to join hands in marching towards the end of AIDS by implementing President’s Comprehensive Response Plan (PCPR).
