All Africa, 17 July 2014

In a new report by the United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, Nigeria and two other African countries have been indicted over increasing cases of HIV/AIDS pandemic in their countries amid overall global decline of the disease.

The report indicated that about 80 percent of people living with the virus in Nigeria have no access to Anti-Retroviral Drugs. According to the report which took stock of cases in each continent stated that just "15 account for more than 75% of the 2.1 million new HIV infections that occurred in 2013."

"In every region of the world the report finds that there are three or four countries that bear the burden of the epidemic. In sub-Saharan Africa, just three countries-Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda-account for 48% of all new HIV infections." More damning for Nigeria is the fact that the report observed that Nigeria falls among countries not doing enough to stem the tide of the virus within the African continent and around the world.

It said the "entire countries are being left behind-for example, six nations Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russian Federation and South Sudan-are facing the triple threat of high HIV burden, low treatment coverage and no or little decline in new HIV infections."

Speaking on the background of the new report, UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe, explained that considering the use of method and advancement of technology in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, "Whether you live or die should not depend on access to HIV test."

Sidibe maintained that "Smarter scale-up is needed to close the gap between people who know their HIV status and people who don't, people who can get services and people who can't and people who are protected and people who are punished."

In sub-Saharan Africa, almost 90% of people who tested positive for HIV went on to access antiretroviral therapy (ART). Research shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, 76% of people on ART have achieved viral suppression, whereby they are unlikely to transmit the virus to their sexual partners. New data analysis demonstrates that for every 10% increase in treatment coverage there is a 1% decline in the percentage of new infections among people

"New HIV infections among children have fallen by 58% since 2001 and dropped below 200 000 for the first time in the 21 most affected countries in Africa."

"The highest number of people LIVING WITH HIV was in sub-Saharan Africa-24.7 million [23.5 million-26.1 million] people. Asia and the Pacific had the next largest population of people living with HIV, at an estimated 4.8 million [4.1 million-5.5 million] people."

Succinctly, the report exposes the crises that have rocked HIV/AIDS programme in Nigeria both at the federal and states levels. There have been series of allegations by some associations of people living with HIV/AIDS against government officials of misappropriation of funds.

Late last year, persons living with the virus across Nigeria boycotted ARV drugs over allegations of manipulation of the contract for the distribution of the drugs.

All efforts by THISDAY to reach the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of aids, Prof. John Idoko on the new report by UNAIDS proved abortive as he was not available for comments.

By Paul Obi with Agency Report

Source: All Africa