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| Dr, Soyinka |
AS the World AIDS Day is observed globally tomorrow, the
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, yesterday said Nigeria
risks dire consequences in its fight against HIV infections should the ountry
failed to find alternative means to declining international funding.
Soyinka also stressed the need for stakeholders across the nation to develop effective strategies towards eradicating discriminatory attitudes against people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
He spoke at a press conference in Abeokuta, the state capital, where the Executive Director, State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr Kehinde Fatungase, disclosed that the agency had scaled up massive distribution of condoms at trailer parks in the state.
According to Soyinka, international support for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS expenditure has not increased since 2008 with a decline in 2010.
He said less international funding for HIV despite current and expanding resource gaps was worrisome, adding that there was urgent need to embark on domestic financing of HIV programmes andsensitization activities.
The commissioner, who stated that over 350,000 people are currently living with HIV in the Gateway State, identified poverty, limited access to care, long distance trailer parks and migration of AIDS cases to rural areas as risk factors for the spread of the disease.
“There is a drop in international funding. International funding opportunities are closing up due to low funding from partners. For example, Global Fund Round 11 has been cancelled due to low funding.
That is worrying because that is a formula for the resurgence of the epidemic. We mustn’t allow this to happen,” he added.
Soyinka, who recalled that African leaders pledged in Abuja last year to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual budget to health, however, lamented that only six countries, excluding Nigeria, have fulfilled their promise.
He said this year’s celebration with the theme, “Resourcing the state response towards getting to zero AIDS related deaths” was aimed at ensuring 50 percent reduction in new infections by 2013 and achieving zero infections by 2015.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government had concluded the drafting of its anti-stigma bill, saying when passed into law, it would address issues relating to discrimination against HIV-infected persons.
Soyinka also stressed the need for stakeholders across the nation to develop effective strategies towards eradicating discriminatory attitudes against people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
He spoke at a press conference in Abeokuta, the state capital, where the Executive Director, State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr Kehinde Fatungase, disclosed that the agency had scaled up massive distribution of condoms at trailer parks in the state.
According to Soyinka, international support for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS expenditure has not increased since 2008 with a decline in 2010.
He said less international funding for HIV despite current and expanding resource gaps was worrisome, adding that there was urgent need to embark on domestic financing of HIV programmes andsensitization activities.
The commissioner, who stated that over 350,000 people are currently living with HIV in the Gateway State, identified poverty, limited access to care, long distance trailer parks and migration of AIDS cases to rural areas as risk factors for the spread of the disease.
“There is a drop in international funding. International funding opportunities are closing up due to low funding from partners. For example, Global Fund Round 11 has been cancelled due to low funding.
That is worrying because that is a formula for the resurgence of the epidemic. We mustn’t allow this to happen,” he added.
Soyinka, who recalled that African leaders pledged in Abuja last year to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual budget to health, however, lamented that only six countries, excluding Nigeria, have fulfilled their promise.
He said this year’s celebration with the theme, “Resourcing the state response towards getting to zero AIDS related deaths” was aimed at ensuring 50 percent reduction in new infections by 2013 and achieving zero infections by 2015.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government had concluded the drafting of its anti-stigma bill, saying when passed into law, it would address issues relating to discrimination against HIV-infected persons.
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