Health
HIV/AIDS: FG To Increase Access To Test, Treatment
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA), Dr Sani Aliyu says modalities have been put in place to increase testing and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (PLHIV).
Making this revelation recently at the just-concluded conference of civil society organisations working on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, the NACA boss said the Federal Government would put necessary things in place to increase access to test and treatment.
According to him, a lot of things hinder people living with HIV/AIDS from accessing and staying on therapy, ranging from social, economic and cultural challenges such as stigmatisation.
It is important for people living with HIV/AIDS to be able to access testing and stay on treatment.
“NACA is liasing more with other government agencies, such as National Health Insurance Scheme to have a synergy that would incorporate HIV into the NHIS”, he said.
While noting that the essence of the conference was to seek ways of sourcing for domestic funds for HIV/AIDS response, the Executive Secretary, Dr Walter Uguwocha said the forum was to part a new course for HIV/AIDS response.
“The forum aims to bring the government and private sector together to deliberate on how to fund HIV response in Nigeria as most international donor agencies are withdrawing their support”, he said.
On his part, a participant at the conference, from the Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention in America, Dr Kelvin Fisher,said that the conference afforded him the opportunity to meet with the Nigerian HIV/AIDS community.
“It is tremendously important to be in a place like this, so I can learn from the civil society organisations of Africa.
“I need to understand what the CSOs really need you can’t do that from the U.S. to find out what kind of assistance they need and understand how our decisions can best meet their need”, he said.
Also speaking, chairman of the Governing Board of NACA, Mrs Paullen Tallen, said government is working hard in prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
“That is an area that is very dear to my heart and we’re really putting more effort to ensure that our HIV positive mothers gave birth to safe children without HIV. So far the strategy is good and encouraging”, she said.
Over ten countries participated in the Accountability Forum with the theme: “Domestic Resource Mobilisation: Increasing Public and Private Sector investment.
The Federal Government has begun a scheme to battle malnutrition in children.
Tagged, “Nutrition 774 Initiative”, the programme was unveiled by Vice President Kashim Shettima as it falls within a framework for the Federal Government’s comprehensive vision for a nationwide nutrition programme to address malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria.
The proposed programme, “Nutrition 774 Initiative,” aims to improve nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.
Speaking yesterday during a roundtable with development partners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, VP Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader focus on food security and availability across Nigeria.”The priority with which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has pursued food availability has gone hand-in-hand with our commitment to eradicating malnutrition.
“Our aspiration as a nation goes beyond the mere abundance of food in our barns and warehouses. We cannot claim victory unless there is certainty that each household across Nigeria has access to the preferred and prescribed diets essential for a healthy life,” the vice president stated.
It would be recalled that the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) had in September endorsed the Nutrition 774 programme as a primary platform for combating malnutrition within Nigerian communities.
The council encouraged development partners to provide financial and technical assistance to support this initiative.
The importance of e-Health devices and digital health solutions in improving Nigeria’s healthcare system has been emphasised by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Secondary and Tertiary.
She also stressed that health is a multilayered activity and a multisectoral collaboration that requires legislators to work together to provide legislation, implement policies, and track funds effectively.
Banigo, who represents Rivers West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, made these remarks at the 5th Annual Legislative Summit on Health in Abuja, themed “Improving Legislative Stewardship and Accountability for Universal Health Coverage.”
She highlighted the potential of eHealth devices, especially given Nigeria’s large population and limited healthcare professionals.
“We can develop platforms that can be accessed through simple phones, even in remote villages, to provide health education and interventions,” she said.
“We are not talking about highfalutin things; we are talking about what will impact communities at the grassroots level, particularly pro-poor initiatives that will benefit vulnerable populations.”
Banigo also emphasized the importance of accountability and effective care, encouraging legislators to share knowledge, engage in peer reviews, and exchange information to achieve better health outcomes.
She recalled the cholera outbreak, where basic health education and interventions could have been delivered via mobile phones, preventing preventable deaths.
The 5th Annual Legislative Summit on Health brought together federal and state legislators, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, the World Health Organisation’s representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, and other dignitaries.