National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) General-Director Dr Gambo Gumel Aliyu has said that out of 1.9 million people in Nigeria, there were at least 1.6 million who were receiving treatment for the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus.
Dr Aliyu revealed the information during an interview with The Guardian ahead of World AIDS Day 2021 on December 1. Aliyu also said that Nigeria will eradicate Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by 2030 as the country was close to reaching the 90-90-90 target set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
“Our estimate shows that between 1.8 to 1.9 million Nigerians are currently living with HIV/AIDS,” Dr Aliyu said. “Of this number, 1.6 million are already on treatment. So, we have 300,000 more to go.”
2021 marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been urging countries to work towards the elimination of inequalities in access to essential services that help AIDS flourish.
It was reported that by June, only 28.2 million people had access to HIV treatment. Despite the number being an increase from 7.8 million in 2010, the progress has been significantly slowing down.
WHO yesterday said that at least 680,000 people died from HIV-related causes in 2020 out of the total estimated number of 37,700,000 people living with HIV. The statement noted that 1,500,000 people were recently infected last year with 73 per cent of adults living with the disease having to receive lifelong antiretroviral therapy.
