Nigeria Has Received $5bn In HIV Grant From U.S. – Envoy

The United States Embassy in Abuja has revealed that Nigeria has received about $5.1 billion in the fight against HIV/AIDS over a 15 year period.

U.S. Charge D ’affairs, Mr. David J. Young, made this known at a Photo Exhibition to launch the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 15th anniversary celebration on Thursday in Abuja.

“Through this initiative, the U.S. Government began its partnership with Nigeria to fight against HIV and AIDS. In support of this partnership, the U.S. Government has provided about 5.1 billion U.S. dollars for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care programs, and to build the capacity of the Nigerian health system,” Young said.

According to him, the exhibition was an opportunity to reflect on the PEPFAR which has helped to expand and sustain life-saving treatment, comprehensive prevention programs and care for those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in nations around the world, including Nigeria.

The envoy observed that before the PEPFAR, “HIV infection was a death sentence in Nigeria and many other African countries. As one of the first countries to begin a national treatment program, Nigeria placed about 15,000 men, women and children on anti-retroviral therapy.”

Explaining further, Young said there was doubt amongst some of his colleagues whether prevention or treatment could ever succeed in environments where resources, assistance, and care were limited, and where having HIV was considered a death sentence, but noted with pride that “working together with the Nigerian government and people, significant progress has been achieved.”

Some of the achievements of the PEPFAR he enumerated include; include having over 779,000 men, women and children currently on HIV treatment, approximately 7.7 million people received HIV counseling and testing services in 2017; more than 1.6 million pregnant women received HIV testing and counseling toward prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and more than 1.1 million orphans and vulnerable children received care and support.

Other areas of progress he identified include supporting Nigeria in the critical areas of human capacity development and strengthening health systems.

Young reiterated the commitment of the U.S. to “continue our collaboration with the Nigerian Government and people in combating HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.”