HIV response: Institute pushes for sustainability, local ownership in Nigeria
HIV response: Institute pushes for sustainability, local ownership in Nigeria
The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has sued for sustainability and local ownership in Nigeria’s HIV response, with a view to consolidating progress achieved in epidemic control.
Dr Patrick Dakum, Chief Executive Officer, IHVN, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Dakum said that people living with HIV were expected to adhere strictly to their medications to maintain their health and prevent new infections.
He noted that HIV services including testing, treatment, laboratory diagnosis, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, remain free in over 380 IHVN-supported facilities across the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Katsina, and Rivers States.
He added that more than 238,000 individuals currently receive free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in IHVN-supported health facilities, made possible through funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and support from the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
He said sustaining these services therefore, required strong government ownership, local partnerships, and continued collaboration with civil society and the media.
”IHVN continues to advocate for sustainable health initiatives. Together with government, funders, and stakeholders, we aim to test 95 per cent of people living with HIV, treat 95 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression in 95 per cent of those on treatment,” he said.
Dakum highlighted the institute’s efforts to expand HIV services to the grassroots through faith-based partnerships, community outreach, and initiatives such as Group Mothers’ Love Gatherings and Peer Mentor Mother Programs, which empower women living with HIV to support one another.
He noted that the Nigerian government was making progress in assuming greater responsibility for the HIV response through health insurance inclusion, local production of HIV test kits, and the planned introduction of the HIV preventive injectable Lenacapavir.
He urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration to ensure the long-term success of the national HIV response and build a healthier future for Nigerians.
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VMT NEWS reports that according to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria currently has an estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV, with about 1.6 million on treatment.
New HIV infections have declined by over 20 per cent in the past decade, while AIDS-related deaths have also dropped significantly.
However, experts warn that sustaining these gains requires stronger domestic funding, efficient service delivery, and improved access to testing and treatment for vulnerable populations, especially women, children, and adolescents.
In perspective, UNAIDS and NACA have both commended Nigeria’s progress but cautioned that the country must sustain momentum to meet the 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
They said that achieving this goal will depend on increased domestic financing, equitable service delivery, and strengthening community-led responses across all states.
