the Sun News Online, 3 November 2014
With Nigeria's successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which seems to be assuming the status a global pandemic, attention should appropriately be channeled towards replicating similar feats in fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS to a finish. Though the Ebola virus is a lot more virulent with a greater propensity towards wrecking more widespread havocs as being witnessed in Liberia, Sierra Leone and other spots within the West African subregion, the scourge of HIV/AIDS remains an undermining factor in Nigeria's quest to achieve one of the stipulated targets of the Millennium Development Goals of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases by 2015. Suffice to mention that considerable effort has been put into reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by preventing cases of new HIV infection at the same time expanding the frontiers of care and treatment for those living with the virus. A need has now arisen to make the National Response to the HIV burden immune to the politics of today.
This need to create immunity for the struggle to fight AIDS to the finish in Nigeria from local political considerations is coming against the backdrop of recent developments in the polity. One of such developments is the crucial place of resource mobilization to meet the demands of the dynamics that accompany such responsibility as fighting a pandemic. Owing to the peculiarities of demography and population, Nigeria contributes up to 9% of the global HIV burden (UNAIDS Report 2014) making her in need of funding from Donor Platforms like the Global Funds for AIDS, PERPFAR, USAIDS, etc. These supports have been demonstrations of the Donor Agencies' commitment to ending the prevalence of HIV infection and other accompanying consequences in Nigeria with appreciable impact.
Whilst there is need to further seek funding from these Donor Agencies, a case also needs to be made to encourage internal funding from state agencies and corporate interests. Interestingly, as Nigeria goes into frenzied politicking owing to the impending 2015 general elections, an insulation of HIV prevention and management efforts would only demonstrate a national response that recognizes that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus respects not the politics of 2015.
Enter a recent report by the PUNCH newspaper that alleged that a whopping sum of money amounting to more than 1.5 billion naira purportedly to fight HIV was going to be frittered away on " a one-day political jamboree" which the reporter said was disguised as HIV/AIDS conference in Abuja. While one would commend the courage of the reporter in investigating issues of national importance which is a hallmark of a much needed investigative journalism, the attempt to link an effort designed to stem the tide of new HIV infection among mothers and children and to salvage the lives of many children from HIV infection with the politics of the time makes mockery of the National Response.
For one, with the launch of the President's Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS which priotizes Prevention of Mother-to- Child Transmission of HIV as a means of reducing new cases of infection, Nigeria has demonstrated to the world that the commitment to reducing the burden of new infections transcends rhetoric and deserves the support of strategic stakeholders-the media inclusive. Remarkable steps have been taken to address this issue of eliminating HIV Transmission from mother to children including concerted efforts geared towards scaling up PMTCT services which started in 2012 with the involvement of the media.
Another point that deserves emphasis in insulating the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria from the intrigues of local politicking is the impact of the elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (eMTCT) on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially as regards such goals as gender equality(MDG3), reduced child mortality(MDG4), improved maternal health(MDG5) and combating HIV/AIDS(MDG6). A comprehensive national plan, which this author learnt is the subject of the proposed launching ceremony would greatly enhance the realization of these MDG targets and further set Nigeria on the right pedestal towards getting to zero with deaths from HIV infection. Since maternal and child health serves as an important fulcrum for any system that aspires to a viable healthcare delivery, the launch of the National Plan for the elimination of New HIV infections among children while keeping their mothers alive through treatment and care by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) could not have come at a more auspicious time.
The issue of availability of treatment services viz-a-viz provision of anti-retroviral drugs for those living with AIDS also comes into limelight with the mentioned report. Agreeably, there is a need to further expand the capacity of treatment for the teeming number of people who are in dire need of such.
In the course of probing the facets of the said report, it was learnt that "the number of HIV positive pregnant women who received treatment to prevent MTCT increased from 33,891 in 2010 to 57,871 in 2013," representing 30% coverage of the national need. This coverage rate is understandably low but the prospects of expansion is enhanced by the timeliness of the proposed launch of the National Plan for the Elimination of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV (2015-16).
For the avoidance of doubts which this article seeks to clarify, the launch, in 2011, of the "Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive" which aims to reduce by 90% the number of new infections among children and to reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50% should be applauded. The activities therein including development of a Comprehensive National Plan of Action; Nationwide HIV Testing campaign among pregnant women for a week; publicity and media campaign; media briefing and press conferences and the national launch of the plan of action proper should guarantee that "No Child should be born with HIV in Nigeria."
Though it is important to separate the fight against HIV/AIDS from the power politics of 2015in Nigeria, it becomes more imperative in order to achieve an increased momentum of elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) to involve political and other key stakeholders.
This would enhance the advancement of the eMTCT agenda as succinctly captured in the Presidential Response Plan and allow for political and social mobilization to end the AIDS epidemic among children.
.Abonu writes from Abuja via Alamat email ini dilindungi dari robot spam. Anda memerlukan Javascript yang aktif untuk melihatnya.
Source: the Sun News Online