HIV & Pandemics
I find it overwhelming that over 3 decades of HIV/AIDS been discovered in Nigeria, there’s still an abundant culture of Stigmatization on HIV/AIDS.
the screenshot above reminds me of My favorite Aunt who was 66 before her passing who constantly Reminded me to always know my status.
I have lost loved ones in my life, the pain sometimes goes away, and then it comes back like a roller coaster. Death is inevitable, but I wish they were here. Pandemics are a threat to humankind & we do our best to fight & survive. Covid-19, Ebola, HIV.
I live in haske, a community in plateau state (North-central Nigeria). The state which was created in 1976 & is popularly celebrated as a tourist center with an estimated population of 4.7 million people (NDHS 2018).
There are 1,960,000 people living with HIV. The first HIV infection was confirmed in Nigeria in 1985. That is over three (3) decades ago. New HIV infections rose to around 140,000 in 1997. AIDS related deaths reached the highest in 2004 with over 84,000 deaths. Despite these alarming figures, due to efforts from civil society, Nigeria government through the Ministry of Health and the donor community, new HIV infections in 2020 were at 86,000 and HIV related deaths at 49,000 (https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/nigeria).
Surely we are making progress. But this is not enough to end HIV and AIDS.
We can do better
There is urgent need for a multilayered approach in the fight against HIV. HIV treatment is working well yes, but how about we seriously couple it with prevention? Options such as condoms, voluntary medical male circumcision, oral Pre-exposure prophylaxis, and long acting injectable PrEP. Let’s also move a step further to societal enablers. There is need to address the social and structural factors that slow progress against HIV and AIDS. Reduced inequalities in the HIV response will ensure that responses meet the needs of all people. Forty years down the line, we should not have stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV as well as key populations. Forty years of HIV should teach us that there is no place for gender based inequality or any form of gender based violence against women and girls in our communities. Fully leveraging the synergies for combination prevention, treatment as well as societal enablers is key to end HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Yes, this can be done!
Amplified voice
The need for collaborated efforts in the fight against HIV cannot be overemphasized. Forty years of HIV, Nigeria is making strides towards ending HIV epidemic. This is owed to the great national response and coordination work that National AIDS Commission is committed to. This is a result of Advocates’ great work and an amplified voice! This progress could not be registered without key population led organizations taking the lead on issues that affect them. We cannot have better results without healthcare workers who are proud to serve everyone. Shout out to all community-led organizations like flame of Hope, ACET who are supported by The Challenge Initiative for the immerse contribution in the fight against HIV! Shout out to Pathfinder international,NACA,NEPWHAN,NASCP, the donor community, The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)!
I am Proud of the progress we are making towards ending HIV and AIDS. Linking with the COVID-19 response, I hope for new commitment and energy to end AIDS by 2030!
