Tackling the HIV/AIDS scourge
NEW reports released recently by the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, to mark the World's AIDS Day have raised fears about the threat which the scourge poses to the nation's health and national development. The report by the Health Ministry, titled the National Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Sero-prevalence Sentinel Survey predicts that as many as four million Nigerians may die of complications arising from HIV/AIDS between now and 2008 while the number of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is expected to increase to about 4.3 million. Among the states in the country the range of prevalence varies from 1.2 per cent in Osun State to 12 per cent in Cross River State.
The UNDP National Human Development Report 2004, the fourth in a series on Nigeria carrying the alarming title, "HIV and AIDS: A Challenge to Sustainable Development", further warns that the continuing spread of the disease poses a major threat to national development. Specifically, the report posits that the 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." The report warns that the scourge could impede the attainment of the country's Millennium Development Goals if action is not taken immediately to check the spread.
Both the Health Ministry Report and that of the UNDP identify youths and women as the most vulnerable group to the AIDS pandemic. According to the Health Ministry, the age group 20 to 24 has the highest prevalence rate of 5.6 per cent while women aged 15 to 24 are about 5.2 per cent. On its part the UNDP report states that 60 per cent of the total population of PLWHA in Nigeria are youths below 25 years of age while 54 per cent of all adult infections are women. Not surprisingly the theme of this year's World's AIDS Day is "Women, Girls and HIV".
The UNDP report lists some of the factors which aid the spread of HIV/AIDS. These are poverty, harmful social practices that encourage multiple sexual partners, illiteracy, insufficient education or awareness and the absence of training in sexual or condom negotiating skills for youths and women. To be sure the Federal Government has taken some measures to check the spread of the disease. It has established the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), currently chaired by Prof Babatunde Osotimehin, to lead the campaign against HIV/AIDS. It has also established special centres to distribute subsidised Anti-Retroviral (AVR) drugs to PLWHA. Civil society groups and NGOs are also contributing significantly to ameliorating the conditions of those living with the disease.
Although these measures are commendable, the facilities available to treat AIDS patients are totally inadequate. For instance, only about 16,000 out of the 800,000 PLWHA who are eligible and need anti-retroviral drugs are currently participating in the Federal Government's AVR programme. This is a mere two per cent of those in need " 98 per cent of PLWHA are left out of the government programme.
Although this is grossly inadequate, it does in fact reflect the extent to which governments over the years have neglected the health sector. Most Nigerians don't have access to good and affordable medical services. The nation's medical facilities are in an appalling state of neglect. Recently, the West African College of Surgeons withdrew accreditation for Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) to train surgeons. The reason, as usual, is inadequate and broken down equipment. Various categories of hospital workers go on strike periodically either for non-payment of their wages or for lack of equipment to perform their duties. No meaningful and effective anti-AIDS campaign can be mounted in such circumstances.
Through the "Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" the United States is boosting Nigeria's HIV/AIDS programme with about N19.6 billion ($150 million) in 2005. With these funds the government is expected to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) minimum standard of treating at least 400,000 HIV/AIDS patients by the end of 2005. The grant is a first instalment and the American government has made it quite clear that additional funding is contingent upon demonstrable results.
It is imperative that this and other measures taken to stem the scourge of AIDS should be part of a comprehensive programme to overhaul the nation's health services. Teaching and general hospitals should be brought to the level of international standards. Government should fund research in both orthodox and non-orthodox medicine. It should make treatment affordable to all those who need it by facilitating the local production of anti-retroviral drugs and other pharmaceuticals.
As the UNDP report notes, there is a need to intensify a general and targeted awareness campaign, emphasising not only the concept of abstinence and fidelity but also inculcating sex negotiating skills in our youths and women. Government should introduce youth development and women empowerment programmes to ameliorate the social conditions of these vulnerable groups.
Most importantly, government should seek to eradicate poverty in our society within the shortest possible time. A poverty-free and environmentally healthy society discourages the spread of diseases, including AIDS. That is what Nigerians deserve from their government.
