Nigeria with national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 3.4% (NARHS 2013) has continued to occupy the 4th position as one of the most affected countries in the world with estimated 210,000 AIDS related deaths annually.
The national response to HIV/AIDS has been largely from the contributions of the United State Government through the Presidents Emergency Program for AIDS Relieve (PEPFAR), The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTAM), UK Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank (WB), Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS) among many other international donors.
In fighting AIDS from 1986 when it was first diagnosed in Nigeria to 2015, Nigeria through these numerous international support placed 750,000 Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) on treatment with the PEPFAR program accounting to over 600,000 of them. It is however important to note that the government of Nigeria has not made meaningful contribution to the response since national emergency was declared on HIV/AIDS by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 when he also pledged governments’ commitment and support for combating the epidemic in the country.
There are evidences that people are still getting infected and more people are now living with the virus in Nigeria, government at all levels have not been committed to promises made with government’s present contributions put at just 7% of the total sum spent on HIV and AIDS intervention in Nigeria (GARPR 2014), and an unwillingness by donors and development partners to wholly fund or continue to make the most contributions that supports HIV and AIDS interventions in Nigeria is challenging the target of ending AIDS in Nigeria by 2030.
The PEPFAR program in Nigeria recently withdrew from supporting Chemistry and Haematology (essential laboratory) tests for PLHIV in their supported treatment facilities. This has in recent times had far reaching consequences on the nation’s socio-economic growth and development and could be a direct cause for increased disease burden on individuals and families, as hospitals in response to the withdrawal of support introduced huge user fees that are over bearing on the very poor PLHIV community to pay.
The Civil Society on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) which is the umbrella body coordinating civil society response in Nigeria recently concluded a fact finding mission to selected treatment facilities across all the geopolitical zones of the country and discovered that these facilities especially where the US Government withdrew its support are charging PLHIV as high as N12,000 to carry out the essential tests. In
UCH Ibadan and BOWEN University Teaching Hospital Ogbomosho, PLHIV pay N12,000 for these test. In FMC Gombe they charge N1,500 for the tests. In Shandam Hospital and many other government hospitals in Plateau state they charge N2,300. In University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, the charge N5,600. Most worrisome is in the South East where PLHIV are being asked to pay for syringe and CD4 count test in addition to paying for the routine tests especially at District Hospital Oguute Enugu-Ezike.
CiSHAN in collaboration with other CSOs involved in the National response have held a number of consultative meetings with National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Federal Ministry of Health, UNAIDS and other agencies with a view to finding a lasting solution to this issue. Unfortunately this year’s allocation to all the government institutions fighting AIDS in Nigeria did not make provision for this huge gap in the national response.
Although the vaccine is still free, these necessary tests that qualifies a PLHIV to receive the vaccine according to the National guideline on treatment is no longer free, therefore treatment is not free in Nigeria anymore.
There is therefore an urgent need to revise the current budget for health to reflect this identified gap in order to avert increased AIDS related death in Nigeria from 2016 as many of the PLHIV have already started defaulting from treatment.
Written by
Walter Ndukwe Ugwuocha MNSE, MNChE, MBA Executive Secretary
Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN)
Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN)
This is good news.
ReplyDeletePeople can now live a responsible life.
No more fucking around as if one's life depends on it.
Was even thinking of asking u out to join my cue of bfs
DeleteWhy won't they withdraw their support? The main truth is that they see how much Nigerians lavish on frivolities all over social media yet these countries will keep donating their hard earned money to sponsor us, they just decided that we don't need free drugs anymore, since we have money to lavish on private jets.
DeleteHmmmm. People should learn to protect them selves, use condom, get ur own hair materials for men and for women.niddle and the rest HIV is real. Its nt the end of the world but the risk/stress involved when contacted doesnt worth itoo. People should be careful health wise Una dooooo.
ReplyDeleteNiddle? Next thing u'll blame auto correct... auto correct taking the blame for peoples grammatical errors since 1900.
DeleteNeedle. THat was auto correct. Its nt had to spell. Okay. Even if its a grammatical blunder but atleast you understood what i said right?
DeleteHard
DeleteLmao over and over again. UWA NTOR.
Deletetoo bad
ReplyDeleteHian nd na poor man go suffer pass.. Protect urself my people Aids no dey show 4 face oh!
ReplyDeleteNa HIV drugs this man dey call vaccine? Hian. I wonder if he read this thing thrice before putting it out.
ReplyDeleteN12,000 for Chemistry and Hematology tests in a teaching hospital sounds vey very outrageous. Make dem check well.
It depends on the type of kit they use. Stop being ignorant.
DeleteIssokay
ReplyDeleteAlways play safe to avoid stories that touches
Choi!..,
ReplyDeleteWahala don dey for ndi bu nje oria obiri na ajo ocha!...
Condom is cheaper!
ReplyDeleteNot hating but itss better biko, so that HIV patients will looks sick biko since Nigerians don't wnat to learn. Me too I dey gbensh raw so i'm guilty as well. Can't wait for aidss to begin dey show for face. Meanwhile thanks to George Bush for giving us Pepfar. That Man was. Good sha oo. Even though he was a republican
ReplyDeleteFor face you dont say. Lekwa gi lekwa obiri na aja ocha.
DeleteAbeg take am easy for ekwo kiri kwo.
Not hating but itss better biko, so that HIV patients will looks sick biko since Nigerians don't wnat to learn. Me too I dey gbensh raw so i'm guilty as well. Can't wait for aidss to begin dey show for face. Meanwhile thanks to George Bush for giving us Pepfar. That Man was. Good sha oo. Even though he was a republican
ReplyDeleteThis James dude tho! God help U
DeleteGovernment don eat the money given to them by World Bank.
ReplyDeleteNa die be that naaaa
ReplyDeleteI pity people that can't afford it
People living with HIV/AIDS should riot or better still do protest against it!
Nawa o.
ReplyDeleteLol!
ReplyDeleteGuess they misused the opportunity.
This is good n bad news.
ReplyDeleteMany hiv negative are dying daily, so do not mock ppl living with it, they might outlive u,all we need is prayer for this nation, though hiv positive, but hiv is the last thing on my mind,cos God gat back, I'm alive and healthy with kids by His grace only,its not only hiv that's killing, we should all be prayerful, many sickness we r neglecting are killing. Hiv doesn't kill if u pray and use ur drug
ReplyDeleteIts not about mocking but the poor ones taking care of themselves
DeleteYou are so right,God will help us
DeleteI pity those going for the treatment, may God heal them.
ReplyDeleteEven condom is not safe, d best product to use and be safe is to pretend to be mermaid n cross your legs, do not gabash raw, get married and stay faithful.
ReplyDelete100 % like. Abstinence is the best protection.
DeleteSimple
DeleteWord!
Nigerians are so greedy. When this epidemic started they should have required foreigners to take AIDS tests. This would have reduced drastically the diseases in the country. But because of money. Make una use condom ooo
ReplyDeleteLobatan.....
ReplyDeletePeople shld be more careful. Married Bvs pls if your husbands are in the habit of chasing and sleeping with ladies, this news can save
ReplyDeleteTime to tie your legs and pretend to be mermaid is now.
Gbam.
DeleteMany rich business men are HIV positive but still want to hit it raw, and they demand for anal and threesomes. I pity all those IG olosho girls. Traveling business class to dubai, human hair and a sleek ride for HIV.
ReplyDeleteFunny enough the NGO i volunteer for gives the treatment free for reactive patients, yet the people aren't taking advantage of it. Rather they tell u dey aren't ready yet. I found out all this during d free Community HIV counselling and testing we just concluded.
ReplyDeleteNa wa
Really mermaid
ReplyDeletethese test are also used to monitor those on the hiv drugs to ascertain if the kidney or liver is being adversely affected by the drugs. so much death will be recorded without these tests.
ReplyDeleteOga, check your facts well, I haven't heard of a vaccine for hiv yet sponsorship for Blood chemistry tests for hiv clients wwas stopped years ago. No be a recent thing. CD4 and GeneXpert tests are still free.
ReplyDeleteNice information .thank you so much.HIV Aids Treatment
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, there is NO vaccine that protects against HIV/AIDS!
ReplyDelete