Nigeria Records Stabilise In HIV/AIDS Infection Rate

FOR the first time in more than two decades when human immunodeficiency virus /acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was first announced in Nigeria, the country has stabilised its HIV infection rate in 2012, experts said yesterday.

The experts, who spoke in Lagos at different forums organised by the

Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and MSD to mark World AIDS Day in Lagos, said although the country was becoming successful in stabilising its infection rate , only less than one-third of about 1.5 million Nigerians requiring antiretroviral (ARV) drugs are able to access treatment.

NIMR Medical Director, Prof. Innocent Ujah, revealed that 18,335 patients , including pregnant women and children, currently access treatment in the clinic.

Ujah noted that although a measure of success has been recorded by the institute, “ a large proportion of the supplies for HIV care including ARVs and laboratory supplies are provided by donors” adding that “ with the global economic downturn and consequent donor fatigue, the governments of Nigeria (federal,state and local governments) must improve their response for national ownership”.

The NIMR DG advised that “ we must raise the momentum to increase the uptake of PMTCT by pregnant mothers if we must reduce the prevalence of new paediatric HIV infection” in Nigeria.

Head Clinical of Services Department of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) at the University of Maryland, Prof. Ernest Ekong, put the prevalent rate of HIV infection in Nigeria at 4.1 per cent, adding that more than 3 million Nigerians are currently living with the condition.

Ekong, who spoke at the launching of MSD in West Africa sub-region, listed the key drivers of HIV/AIDS in the country to include low personal risk perception,social cultural factors, intergeneration sex, inadequate access to health, chronic poverty, stigmatisation and multiple sexual partners among others.

MSD,a global pharmaceutical company, said the opening of its new office in Nigeria was to make drugs available to Africans in need of HIV and other infections care. And in commemoration of the World AIDS Day, the company announced its ARV drug, atripla in Nigeria yesterday.

Ekong,who is the immediate past Clinical Director of AIDS Prevention Initiative and Consultant to Harvard on the Nigeria PEPFAR, said that urban prevalence of HIV was higher than rural prevalence in Nigeria.