The federal government has stated that the task of ending AIDS as a public health disease of importance in Nigeria is not yet over.
The Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, stated this at the 4th Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Nigeria’s Bi-annual Stakeholders Meeting which was held in Abuja.
The event is organised in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Nigeria, and Caritas Nigeria.
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Ilori stated that a lot needs to be done in ending HIV/AIDS by 2030 and called for collective responsibility from health practitioners and implementing partners to achieve it.
“The vision for the health sector renewal by the Honourable Ministers of Health and Social Welfare brings into perspective several pieces of effort that are designed to produce health and reduce pain sustainably for all Nigerians.
“This goal is pivoted upon four main pillars, which are: effective governance; efficient, equitable, and quality health system; unlocking value chain and Health Security. Specifically for the HIV Response, this translates to collectively achieving a domestic-driven HIV response that is sustainable, effective, and efficient.”
She noted that NACA remains the government agency mandated with the responsibility of coordinating the multisectoral response to HIV and related diseases in the country
“This, we will continue to do under the supervision of the Honourable Minister of Health for State, Dr Tunji Alausa. In the next few weeks, I will be inviting you to share my vision of how together we will achieve this,” she said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, and Social Welfare, Dr Alausa, expressed appreciation to stakeholders in the sector, especially the CDC, for her sustained support in the fight against HIV/AIDs.
“It is indeed an enviable partnership, especially considering the areas of focus for intervention. These areas are central to the well-being of the country and cuts across all levels of care. Addressing disease outbreak preparedness, immunizations and HIV epidemic is a laudable feat. I am glad that the project is making good progress.
“This is because despite epidemiological transition being experienced in many developing countries, infectious diseases and outbreaks are not completely tamed and have the tendency to complicate non-communicable diseases thereby affecting general population morbidity. A clear example is the COVID-19 Pandemic which had severe negative impact on our population with co-morbidities such hypertensive, diabetics.
“As we all know, health is not merely the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. We consider it a fundamental human right, and it is imperative that every citizen has access to quality healthcare services that are affordable and without discrimination,” he said.