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AIDS, Threat to Nigeria's Devt –UNDP
From George Oji, Iyefu Adoba and Julcit Onigbogi in Abuja, 12.01.2004
The latest United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country report on Nigeria has identified the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS as major threat to sustainable development in the country. The report, which is to be launched today by President Olusegun Obasanjo as part of activities to mark the World's AIDS Day is the National Human Development Report 2004 for Nigeria, entitled "HIV and AIDS: A Challenge to Sustainable Human Development." The National Development report, which focuses exclusively on a particular country, examines an issue of critical human development concern to the country and provide policy recommendations. The 2004 report represents the fourth report to be commissioned by UNDP on Nigeria The report observed that HIV and AIDS scourge is seriously depleting the nation's workforce, stretching health facilities to breaking point, and adversely affecting education, productivity, food security, social harmony and national security, thereby compounding poverty in Nigeria. It further observed that HIV/AIDS has leapt from being a mere health issue to a major multi-dimensional development challenge. It praised the Obasanjo administration for departing from the denial and apathy of previous administrations and for doing a lot to confront the epidemic frontally. The report identified youths and women as the most vulnerable groups that bear the most burden of the epidemic, noting that "of the total population infected in Nigeria, 60 per cent are young people below 25 years, and 54 per cent of all adult infections are women." It cautioned that if the current rate of spread of the disease is not halted, it could more than triple soon, thereby impeding the nation's ability to meet her Millennium Development Goals. The report identified poverty, harmful social practices that encourage multiple sexual partners and unintended consequences of urbanization as some of the major causes of the spread of the epidemic in the country. It suggested that it is possible to contain the epidemic if there is political will and stronger partnership among all stakeholders. It recommended more financial resources, general and targeted awareness campaign, advocacy against harmful social practices, affordable treatment to those infected, local manufacture of anti-ritroviral drugs, youth development and women empowerment programmes, legal frameworks for policy instrument and improved social conditions as some of the factors that will make people less vulnerable. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has pledged the sum of £1.5 billion to fight the scourge of AIDS over the next three years. A statement from the UK Secretary of State for Interna-tional Development, Hilary Benn and made available to THISDAY in Abuja stated that there is a £6.6 billion AIDS funding gap for this year alone.
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