The federal government has restated its commitment to scale up efforts to eliminating new infections among children by ensuring continued access to Antiretroviral therapy (ART), expanding HIV testing and counselling and, prevention programmes.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the disclosure Wednesday at the commemoration of Worlds Aids Day organised by the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare in conjunction with the National Agency For The Control of Aids (NACA).
This year’s World’s AIDS Day commemoration is themed: “Take the Rights Path: Sustain The HIV Response And Stop HIV Among Children To End AIDS In Nigeria By 2030.”
The minister asserted that with over 1.9 people living with HIV in Nigeria, including approximately 150,000 children, the federal government will sustain its efforts to ensuring continued access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for those living with HIV, expanding HIV testing and counseling.
He added that such comprehensive and inclusive efforts will include improving the availability of prevention programmes for those at highest risk of infection.
Dr Salako further emphasised: “The federal government remains committed to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 and we are determined to sustain the response where no child is left behind.
“This commitment is anchored under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the various reforms to ensure availability of reliable data, medicine security, including HIV treatment inputs and sustainable domestic resources mobilisation”, he added.
