By Chioma Umeha
Dr. Sunday Aboje, National Coordinator, National
AIDS/STI Control Programme(NASCAP), Federal Ministry of Health, has urged the
Federal Government to take ownership of elimination of Mother to Child
transmission (eMTCT) of HIV programmes to end disease infection in the country.
Dr. Aboje said this at the opening of a three-day
communication strategic review workshop by Journalists Alliance for Prevention
of Mother to Child transmission of HIV (JAPiN) in Calabar, Cross Rivers State,
recently.
While stressing on the need for Federal Government
to take charge of the programme, the National Coordinator, NASCAP, decried the
country’s dependence on foreign donors to eliminate mother to child
transmission of HIV.
He further attributed over-reliance on foreign
donors to be responsible for the lack of coordination in the HIV Health Sector
Response, saying this result in duplication of efforts, parallel programme,
among others.
Dr, Aboje said: “Over-dependence on external
donors is also responsible for lack of coordination in the HIV Health Sector
Response resulting in duplication of efforts, parallel programme, wastage of
resources with little or no impact on the patients.
“Instead of Government to dictate, guide and
supervise donor agencies and implementing partners, the reverse is the case.
They operate with minimum regards to stipulated guidelines or agreements with
the Federal Government. In summary, ‘HIV Programme seems hijacked by
international donors agencies.”
Aboje stated that currently, 380,000 children are
HIV positive in the country, adding that Nigeria is committed to the goal of
eliminating new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive
by 2020.
He also said that the 90-90-90 target has received
a boost in Nigeria with the new guidelines of test and treat.
The National Coordinator was optimistic that there
is a renew hope of viral suppression that would provide the potency to stop
further transmission as a prevention tool while prolonging the lives of the
infected persons.
“The country has come a long way in its effort to
control the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in PMTCT. Beginning with the
pioneer 11 PMTCT-provider tertiary health facilities in 2002, the country now
has 7,265 health facilities providing PMTCT services at all levels of the
health care system.”
Aboje, however, stated that Nigeria’s target on
eliminating new HIV cases in children among other things for 2018 was to ensure
50 percent of HIV-exposed children have access to HIV prophylaxis treatment and
early infant diagnosis services.
He also declared that funding, inadequate
political commitment, and funding at state and LGA levels, weak health
infrastructure as well as inadequate engagement of the private health sector as
some challenges against eliminating new HIV cases in children.
Prompt release of 100 percent budget for AIDS
control, prevention, and treatment for the relevant Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs) would make a difference in the lives of people living with the
disease, Dr. Aboje said.
