World AIDS Day: FG canvasses support from  NGOs to end HIV

.Approves funds for Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road

In its determination to end the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, Federsl Government is seeking the continuous support of non government actors to curb the disturbing situation of the virus in the country.

This is as the World Heath Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm that Africa records 2,500 HIV infection daily .

Speaking at the World HIV/AIDS Day in Abuja yesterday, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Gambo Aliyu, said increased support from non government actors would go along way in ending HIV in the country.

He said the commemoration of World AIDS Day 2021 (WAD) scientific session with the theme: Epidemic Control and Sustainable HIV financing in Nigeria in the face of COVID-19, was timely giving the renewed efforts of government to tame the spread of the dreaded virus.

The NACA boss further reinstated the commitment of the agency in partnering global team and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the country is over.

“There are money bags around, why don’t we bring them along to support in the supply of logistics, HIV test kits and drugs.

“There is a lot of work to do in the fight against HIV but we will soon get there,” the NACA DG said.

While commending the support of the global partners so far, the Director General said the commemoration was aimed at taking stock of their achievements.

He explained that the effort of NACA was to identify those people who have the virus, provide services to them as well as give opportunity to people to test.

On his part, the Director General of the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (NASTICP), Ministry of Health, Akudo Ikpeazu said there was low Prevention of Mother to Child transmission services in the health delivery.

Ikpeazu maintained that they were reaching women generally with Prevention of Mother to Child transmission (PTMTCT) services.

She said “we need to test all pregnant women who are positive and there is need for data”.

Kalada Green of University of Manitoba, said that key population contributed more to the  per centage of new infections.

He stated that one of the greatest challenges in the fight against the dreaded virus was funding.

The University don however said with determination and greater commitment the country would achieve the feat of ending the scourge of the virus in the country.