President Goodluck JonathanAS part of activities to mark the World AIDS Day, stakeholders including President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) and the joint United Nation programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) have identified the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS as the major challenge militating against the zero infection and deaths targets for 2015.

“Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero discrimination” was the theme of World AIDS Day 2012 celebrated on December 1.

President Goodluck Jonathan, in an address on World AIDS Day, said there are also huge gaps in PMTCT of HIV and testing. An estimated N700 billion is required to fund the National Strategic Plan (2010 – 2015), which will move us close to achieving universal access to HIV services.

Jonathan said, “in response to these challenges, the government of Nigeria will continue to provide the needed level of commitment to ensure progress in combating HIV. The government of Nigeria has increased HIV funding from N2.5 billion in 2002 to over N5 billion in 2011.

“A partnership framework was signed with the United States government in 2011, which will see government spending on HIV increase from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent in 2015. The government of Nigeria will continue to support mainstreaming of HIV programmes in the public sector and work towards providing adequate budgetary allocations to the health sector. In addition to the efforts of the Federal Government, HIV control Agencies have been established in more than 34 states and now draw down from budgetary allocations to enhance HIV activities in the states.

“It is the hope of government that through the decentralisation of HIV services and integration with other related diseases at the community level, 80 per cent of all people living with HIV in Nigeria will have access to lifesaving treatment and PMTCT of HIV/AIDS by 2015.  To achieve these Nigeria has embarked on the accelerated of scale-up of HIV/AIDS services and strengthening health systems to create a platform for delivering comprehensive and integrated HIV and reproductive health services.”

Director General of NACA, Prof. John Idoko told The Guardian, “the major challenge facing the HIV/AIDS fight in Nigeria is elimination/prevention of mother to child transmission because we are really struggling and trying but it is not fast enough. The target for 2015 is 90 per cent coverage. Currently, I guess we are between 25 and 30 per cent. We wanted to be at 50 by the end of this year. We have all the infrastructure and capacity to move to 50. So, next year we can move to 50 per cent and perhaps beyond.”

UNICEF in a statement said new HIV infections in children are down, but reaching the goal of an AIDS-free generation requires treating more pregnant women and children living with HIV.

According to the statement, thanks to remarkable global commitment, the world has seen a 24 per cent reduction in new HIV infections in children – from 430,000 in 2009 to 330,000 in 2011. And, as of December 2011, over 100,000 more children were receiving antiretroviral treatment compared to 2010.

But less than one-third of children and pregnant women are receiving the treatment they need, as opposed to the global average of 54 per cent for adults overall.

Director of WHO’s HIV Department, Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall said in a statement, “in all regions of the world, some groups of people are still not able to access HIV prevention and treatment. Children, for example, are lagging badly behind, only 28 per cent of children, who needs antiretrovirals (ARVs) can obtain them.

“There are many reasons for this. Sometimes geographical factors make it more difficult to deliver services. Stigma, discrimination and legal issues are often significant barriers to accessing effective care. Adolescent girls, sex workers, men, who have sex with men and people who use drugs often remain vulnerable and marginalised. Migrants frequently have only limited access to health services. As a result, they often struggle to obtain the health services they need, including the provision of antiretroviral therapy.”

UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake said, “it is simply wrong that adults are twice as likely as children to receive the treatment they need. By definition, an AIDS-free generation depends on protecting the youngest and most vulnerable from HIV infection.  We must do still more to help mothers and children who live with HIV be able to live free from AIDS.  We must rededicate ourselves to boosting the number of pregnant women and children being tested and treated through basic antenatal and child health programmes.”

Treating HIV-positive pregnant women not only keeps them alive and well, but prevents babies from acquiring HIV during pregnancy, delivery and the breastfeeding period. Treatment can also prevent sexual transmission from an HIV-positive woman to an HIV-negative partner.

Working to end new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive is a key element of UNICEF’s overall commitment to child survival under the global movement, “a promise renewed.”

source: ngrguardiannews.com