Health sector stakeholders have called on the federal and state governments to implement an integrated health strategy in order to eradicate HIV prevalence in Nigeria by the year 2030. The stakeholders voiced their stance recently at the 5th biennial stakeholders engagement of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC Nigeria), which was held in Abuja and themed “Strategic Pivoting Towards Program Simplification and Sustainable Public Health Intervention.” Andy Eyo, the CEO of the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), emphasized the significance of streamlining health programs to help state governments better manage resources and optimize their impact.
Eyo was positive that Nigeria can eradicate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS by 2030 with the support of local commitment. He encouraged the federal government to take the lead on a nationwide scale, citing the CDC’s efforts and tactics as an example. Highlighting the vital role that integrated health services play in enhancing the delivery of healthcare overall, he noted that a comprehensive approach is necessary to guarantee that no one, especially disadvantaged groups, is left behind in the continuous fight against the virus. As it is for decades, HIV continues to be a major public health concern in the nation, notwithstanding recent progress in lowering its prevalence.
HIV prevalence in the country is 1.3 percent.
The current state of affairs demonstrates both advancements and persisting challenges as the nation works to stop transmission and care for those impacted. According to the most recent data published by the Nigerian government, the country’s HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 is 1.3%, down from earlier estimates of 2.8%. The impact of targeted interventions and public health initiatives is demonstrated in this chart. Estimates from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and UNAIDS revealed that 1.9 million Nigerians are HIV positive.
At the national level, viral suppression among individuals with the virus who are between the ages of 15 and 49 is 42.3% (45.3% for women and 34.5% for men). Viral suppression keeps the virus-positive individuals healthy and stops the virus from spreading. Alongside other nations, Nigeria had pledged to meet the UN’s ambitious target of eliminating the AIDS Epidemic as a public health concern by 2030. Increased understanding of the nation’s HIV epidemic has enabled more effective planning for the delivery of HIV prevention, care, and treatment services, with a focus on priority populations such as female sex workers, as well as more efficient investments in the response to the virus.
Efforts to lessen related stigma have taken center stage.
Achieving this target necessitates controlling the virus until it no longer spreads widely or endangers the health of impacted communities. As part of the efforts, Nigeria has already developed a number of significant strategies. The National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework (2021–2025) is one of the most important approaches, which entails how the government plans to decrease the virus transmission, increase access to treatment, and address behavioral and socioeconomic variables that contribute to the virus. The framework is aimed at increasing access to testing and treatment services, especially in underprivileged and rural areas where access is still limited.
Furthermore, as stigma is still a major deterrent to getting tested and receiving treatment, efforts to lessen the stigma attached to the virus have taken center stage in the government’s strategy. Significant international collaborations and aid support the government’s ambitions by offering the funding, technical expertise, and resources required to meet the 2030 target. Funding HIV/AIDS programs and enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare system to successfully manage the the virus epidemic have been made possible by organizations like UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), among others.
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Future initiatives to further lower the prevalence of the virus in the country are expected to concentrate on enhancing prevention techniques, especially for high-risk populations including adolescents and young adults. Plans are also in place to make Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) more widely available, especially in rural regions, in order to guarantee that people living with the virus receive consistent treatment. It is anticipated that the government will initiate more educational initiatives to fight stigma and promote regular testing. Medical research advancements could also result in improved therapies or even vaccinations that prevent the spread of the disease, which would revolutionize the way that transmission rates are decreased.