The federal government has reaffirmed it‘s commitment to achieving the global targets geared towards ending AIDS by 2030.
Director general of the National Agency for the Country of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Sambo Aliyu, made this known at the 6th National Council of AIDS Meeting, themed “Innovative Approaches towards HIV Epidemic Control and Programme Sustainability at State Level” in Abuja.
He said „I would like to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the global targets geared towards ending AIDS by 2030. Nigeria will continue to work with development partners and key stakeholders to strengthen the response to HIV and other infectious diseases.“
Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic slightly impacted on the nation‘s 2030 target to achieve zero new infection, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-Related deaths, Gambo however, said that the country recorded its largest growth in HIV treatment numbers in 2020, initiating close to 300,000 people living with HIV on treatment.
„Looking back 2 years ago since the 5th NCA which held in 2019, I realise how COVID-19 impacted on the economy and especially the community of people living with HIV/AIDS; this was due to inadequate emergency preparedness and response to COVID-19, long lockdown period that led to hunger and malnutrition, patients who were unable to access drugs, poor distribution of drugs to health facilities and health post, vulnerability of health workers to contract COVID-19 thereby impeding on service delivery.
„This slightly impacted on our 2030 target to achieve zero new infection, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-Related deaths. However, I would like to mention here that even in the face of COVID-19, Nigeria recorded its largest growth in HIV treatment numbers in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic,“ he said
