Health
GEM-HUB Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has tasked the Federal Government to strive hard to eliminate barriers to accessing healthcare services toward combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Mrs Oyeyemi Pitan, the Executive Director, Gem-Hub Initiative, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Pitan was reacting to the report from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey/National Immunization Coverage Survey (MICS/NICS) by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
She said that while Nigeria had made significant strides in increasing HIV awareness and treatment access, much more needed to be done.
She said that persistent disparities in healthcare access and outcomes underscored the need for continued investment in health infrastructure to effectively combat HIV/AIDS and related health issues.
“There should be deliberate efforts to eliminate all forms of barrier to accessing healthcare services, particularly for adolescents and young people, taking into consideration that this group of people are heterogeneous and have healthcare needs including HIV Prevention and Care.
“According to recent data from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), while more Nigerians are aware of HIV and have access to antiretroviral treatment, gaps in healthcare access still exist, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
“These disparities hinder the country’s efforts to reduce HIV transmission and improve health outcomes for those living with the virus.
“We’ve made progress, but it’s not enough. We need to focus on strengthening our health infrastructure and ensuring that education about HIV/AIDS reaches every corner of the country. Only then can we hope to address the persistent healthcare disparities,” she said.
She said that improving public health in Nigeria required a multifaceted approach.
“This includes investing in modern healthcare facilities, training healthcare professionals, and implementing comprehensive health education programs that target both urban and rural populations. Nigeria’s fight against HIV/AIDS is closely tied to its broader development goals,” she said.
She added that addressing the gaps in healthcare access was crucial not only for combating HIV/AIDS but also for improving overall public health and achieving sustainable development.
She said that efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria were part of a broader global initiative to end the epidemic.
“The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a target to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. To achieve this, countries must ensure that no one is left behind, especially the most vulnerable populations,” she said.
She called for increased government funding and international support to bolster Nigeria’s health system, stressing that without addressing the root causes of healthcare disparities, the fight against HIV/AIDS would remain an uphill battle.
NAN reports that since the early 1980s, Nigeria had faced a significant public health challenge with the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The virus, primarily transmits through unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding, has had a profound impact on the country’s socio-economic landscape.
From 2020 to 2022, awareness of HIV prevention among Nigerians aged 15-49 remained relatively high but varied by gender and region. According to NACA, 74.10 per cent of males and 70.70 per cent of females were knowledgeable about HIV prevention methods.
Enugu State had the highest awareness among males at 98.50 percent, while Bauchi state had the lowest at 46.30 percent. For females, Benue state led with 93.70 percent, contrasting sharply with Niger state at 46.90 per cent.
The accessibility of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS patients has shown some progress, though disparities exist. In 2020, 66.46 percent of females and 33.54 percent of males had access to ART.
By 2022, access slightly decreased for females to 64.00 percent while increasing for males to 36.00 percent. Benue state consistently recorded the highest number of females accessing treatment, while Ekiti, Zamfara, and Yobe states reported the lowest numbers across different years.
HIV/AIDS has also exacerbated other health issues, such as malaria, particularly among pregnant women. Data from the Federal Ministry of Health shows a troubling increase in malaria cases among pregnant women, from 372,577 in 2019 to 1,233,002 in 2021.
This rise underscores the compounded health challenges faced by vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
Efforts to combat HIV/AIDS are aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which aims to ensure health and well-being for all.
This includes reducing the incidence of major diseases and ensuring access to quality healthcare.
In spite of some progress, achieving universal health coverage remains a challenge, particularly in providing financial protection and healthcare services to those in extreme poverty.(NAN)
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May 24, 2024
Tags: Gem-Hub Remove barriers to healthcare services to combat HIV/AIDs
