2012: NACA Seeks Support To Test 20 Million Nigerians

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) says it requires $280 million to conduct HIV counselling and testing on 20 million Nigerians by 2012.

Prof. John Idoko, Director-General of the agency who said  this in Abuja at the NACA and Research Alliance to Combat HIV/AIDS (REACH) symposium called on “our development partners, policy makers, private sectors and all stakeholders in Nigeria to resolve, support and strive towards achieving an ambitious target of counselling and testing 20 million Nigerians by the year 2012.

“At the cost of $14 per person tested, Nigeria will therefore need $280 million to make this a reality,” Idoko said.

He urged all Nigerians to know their status, saying that recently published 2010 UNGASS report revealed that 11.7 per cent women and men aged 15-49 went for HIV test in the last 12 months,

He stated that so far, 14 per cent of the population had been counselled and tested.

He said that the agency in collaboration with all its partners would start the promotion of the exercise.

Idoko explained that the agency would intensify efforts in aggressive implementation of Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials to increase the knowledge base towards HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT).

It would also embark on innovative strategies for resource mobilisation for HCT and local production of test kits to ensure reduction in cost of importation and drive sustainability.

HCT programme for children and persons with disabilities would be added to the agency’s promotion of HCT as a core component of all prevention activities, Idoko added.

In a goodwill message, Dr Peter Eriki, WHO Representative in Nigeria, noted that since 2006, the world had witnessed the emergence of new strategies for combating the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

He said the symposium would review these strategies and determine those suited for Nigeria.

Eriki stressed that research was needed to generate the evidence that would inform the design of an effective national response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

“As Nigeria scales up HIV and AIDS intervention to achieve the universal access target, research must provide the answers to the following questions: What are the priority target groups, which in