Health
NETWORK of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has called on government and relevant stakeholders to increase access to preventive and treatment services aimed at ending AIDS by 2030.
Mr Abdulkadir Ibrahim, National Coordinator of the group, made the call at the commemoration of World AIDS Day on Friday in Abuja.
Ibrahim said that only closing the gaps between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment and those left behind was necessary in ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.
“Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gaps between people who have access to HIV prevention.
The national coordinator emphasised the theme: Equalising to end AIDS” as a clarion call to collectively end AIDS by empowering and enabling all people to access services needed.
He expressed the need to put the communities and networks at the centre of AIDS epidemic as public health threat must end by 2030.
He urged the government and relevant stakeholders to focus attention on the right population if the HIV response should be given a human face.
According to him, patient literacy, adherence support and tracking to follow up clients are critical ingredients for attaining sustained viral suppression.
“We need to go granular and focus on the right populations and geographic areas with the greatest unmet needs for HIV prevention and treatment.
“We need to eliminate societal and structural barriers that drive the HIV epidemic.
“We must remove all punitive laws policies, undertake law reforms which decriminalise key populations, reduces stigma and discrimination, protects the human rights of People Living with HIV (PLHIV).”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World AIDS is commemorated on Dec. 1 annually to remember persons lost to HIV/AIDS and show solidarity to those living with HIV. (NAN)
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Tags: AbdulKadir Ibrahim NEPWHAN
