Nigeria is 95% donor dependent in curbing HIV AIDs – Experts reveal

Health experts on Monday said that Nigeria is 95 percent dependent on donor funding in its course to curb and effectively manage the spread of HIV/AIDS across the country.

Ijaodola Olugbenga, Assistant Director, Prevention Mother to child transmission (PMTCT) department, ministry of health, said that Nigeria depend largely on donors to manage and control the spread of HIV AIDs in Nigeria, and  that government’s commitment amounts to just 5 percent.

Olugbenga speaking at the “two-day media dialogue on the prevention of mother to child transmission” organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the ministry of information and culture held in Calabar, said that Nigeria accounts for second largest global burden of HIV AIDs and contribute the largest proportion of new vertically acquired HIV infection among children.

He said “The major limitation to this program is inadequate appropriation of the National and state budget to fund the HIV program and the donor funding is drastically dropping, there is need for the government to own a self-funding program to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the program”.

“Nigeria is responsible for over 12.4percent of global burden of HIV infected children with estimated number of 267,000 children living with HIV in the country “.

Abiola Davies, HIV AIDs specialist, UNICEF, said that over the years, there has been only 30 percent HIV coverage around the country adding that this coverage is far from the expected 90-90-90 global target.

She said with the recent decline in the donor funding, there is need for more States to participate in the funding of the program.
“Nigeria coverage of HIV is still far from the 90-90-90 global target, this target means that 90 percent of the population should be aware of their Status, 90 percent of those infected should be actively under the retroviral treatment, and there should be 90 percent reduction in the viral load”, she added.

Abiola, however stressed on the need for thorough follow up on infected mothers to ensure adequate usage of prescribed medications, adding that most children are born with the Virus due to misuse of prescribed drugs

Olumide Osanyinpeju, deputy director Child right information Bureau (CRIB) of the federal ministry of information and culture said that there is a urgent need to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to basic service.

He said “it is worthy to note that it has been a difficult task propagating that children reserve the rights to live a life free from diseases with HIV in focus as a large number of Nigeria children are still at risk of information”.

“This situation is such that we must all continue to work relentlessly till we achieve an HIV AIDs free nation especially with eat to children”, he added.

Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja