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'Africa Accounts for 60% of AIDS Cases'
Wabara promises anti-stigmatisation law From Kola Ologbondiyan, Julcit Onigbogi, Iyefu Aduba and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 12.02.2004
A report released yesterday by a United Nation's body on Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS) pandemics, UNAIDS, in commemoration of the World AIDS Day, indicated that 60 per cent of all the people living with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Sahara Africa. Also yesterday, Senate President Adolphus Wabara disclosed that the Senate would soon enact a law to prohibit stigmatisation or any form of discrimination against Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS. The 2004 report titled "AIDS epidemic update," which was released by UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the celebratory launch of the Emergency Plan Partnership in Abuja yesterday said an estimated 3.1 million people in the region are newly infected while 2.3 million died of AIDS in 2004. In a message to mark the day, Dr. Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS and under secretary-general of the United Nations said "this World AIDS day, the news is sobering- the epidemic continues to spread in every region of the world. The number of people living with HIV globally has reached its highest level with close to 40 million people, up to 36.6 million in 2002." However, President Oluse-gun Obasanjo said that only 14,000 out of the estimated 3.7 million Nigerians infected with the HIV/AIDS virus are currently on the Federal Government subsidized Antiretroviral, (ARV), drug treatment programme. Speaking at the celebratory launch of the Emergency Plan Partnership, Obasanjo noted that part of government's plan is to scale up access to ARV programmes in 25 centers across the country from next year. The President however regretted that though there has been a slight drop in the national prevalence rate from 5.8 per cent to 5 per cent attributed to the aggressive response by the Federal Government to the epidemic, the progress of behavioral change remains at a slow pace. The emergency plan, according to the President, will go a long way in reversing some of the damage caused by the epidemic which he described as the greatest challenge for governments after terrorism. The emergency plan seeks to achieve prevention of over 1.1 million new infections, provide care and support to 1.75 million HIV affected individuals including People Living With AIDS (PLWA), as well as the treatment of 350,000 PLWA over the next year and support interventions to prevent 1.1 million new infections over the next five years. Wabara, in a message on the occasion delivered through his Chief Press Secretary, Henry Ugbolue, revealed that "the relevant committees of the Senate have been mandated to liaise with other governmental and non-governmental agencies in the country for an emergency package that would stem the HIV/AIDS scorge as well as strengthen existing health care network for persons living with AIDS in the country." According to him, the "Senate is disturbed by the reported scarcity of anti-retroviral drugs and consequently backs the clamour for the local manufacture of these drugs." He added that "the Senate would make provisions for huge subsidies for the medical needs of people living with AIDS" in the 2005 Budget. Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell speaking against the back drop of the theme of the day dedicated to women and children who are the most vulnerable group said it was sobering to note that 50 per cent of 3.8 infected Nigerians are women. The Ambassador said while $15 billion has been committed by the US Government worldwide to stem the spread of the disease, $195 million will be spent over the next five years for the prevention, treatment and care of Nigerians. The Ambassador who reiterated the US commitment to combating the disease said the partnership with Nigerian government will provide support for the realisation of the collective dream of both countries for a Nigeria with fewer people living with the disease and more infected people having access to treatment without stigmatization. USAID Mission Director Dawn Liberi commended President Obasanjo as one of the African leaders who have been speaking out against the disease and leading the fight against its spread in Sub Saharan Africa.
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