Mr. Willie Bassey, Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Bassey said Dr. Jean-Thomas Nouboussi, the Country Portfolio Manager in Nigeria, said this when the Global Fund team, led by Mr. Ayo Ipinmoye, Acting Chairman of Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism for Nigeria, visited SGF Sen. George Akume in his office.

“The Global Fund has approved about $1 billion for Nigeria as part of its grant to assist the country in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and HIV/AIDS for the next three years with the implementation plan commencing from January 2024.

Bassey quoted Nouboussi as saying that Nigeria is the highest beneficiary of the Global Fund grants out of approximately 110 countries of the world.

“Global Fund is working with Country Coordinating Mechanism in ensuring equitable disbursement of fund to countries affected in the fight against tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria around the globe”, the statement said.

Nouboussi, therefore, sought the support of the SGF to ensure speedy implementation of the funding to Nigeria in the fight against AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis in the country.

He commended the Federal Government for the success it recorded in the fight against the three health challenges, particularly tuberculosis.

According to him, Nigeria is one of the countries that have made tremendous progress in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Responding, Akume thanked the organisation for its contributions to stemming the tide of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in the country.

He sought more intervention from the fund so that the successes recorded in mitigating the three diseases would be sustained.

“Your intervention in TB and malaria are very much welcome. I also learnt that you also intervened against AIDS, I know it has gone down, but there are some little signs that it has not yet been eliminated. ”

The SGF assured the Global Fund of its commitment to fight against tripartite diseases and optimal utilisation of the funds dedicated to the project.

He added that his office would continue to collaborate with the organisation to ensure the implementation of the intervention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, is an international financing/partnership organisation that aims to attract, leverage, and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

It was launched in 2002 as a global consensus to support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, established by the UN.

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Claes Johansson, UNICEF’s chief of management for results, said about two-thirds of the infected children do not get treatment.

Johansson spoke on Tuesday at the national dialogue meeting for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in Nigeria.

He described the meeting as a crucial one for Nigeria to discuss ways of eliminating vertical transmission of HIV — also known as mother-to-child transmission.

“We are working within a framework to map out a strategy that we will work with for the next five years along with Nigeria,” he said.

“Ending the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS is one of the key actions that will also help end pandemics, which is what the global world is looking forward to.

“However, we have so much to do and a long way to go, especially with mother-to-child-transmission taking about 32% and one out of seven being infected on a monthly basis is a Nigerian with about 22,000 infected yearly.

“This is a situation that is simply not acceptable and for all these children who get infected, about two-third of them do not get treatment.

“So, we in the global community want the Nigerian government to tell us what their sustainable strategic plans are and what they need to eliminate vertical transmission. The UN and its affiliated agencies and bodies are always willing to help Nigeria put an end to PMTCT.

“Let us know your priorities so that we can assist and help map out strong, sustainable ways to eliminating vertical transmission.”

Gambo Aliyu, director-general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), emphasised the need for a better strategy to deal with PMTCT.

He explained that in 2016, there were about 13,000 infected pregnant mothers that were not getting treatment, which had risen to 421,000 as of 2019.

Aliyu attributed the rise to the fact that many pregnant women were not visiting health facilities, adding that part of the strategies discussed at the dialogue was how to get treatment to the women if they were not willing to come to the facilities.

Betta Edu, Cross River’s commissioner for health, who spoke on behalf of health commissioners of all the 36 states, said it was important to work alongside other HIV-related organisations in order to make the PMTCT a success.

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Mrs Buhari made the assertion at the launch of Free to Shine Campaign against Childhood Aids, at the Secretariat of African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) on Friday in Abuja.

The theme of the campaign was “Transforming Africa through Prioritising Children, Adolescents and Mothers in the fight against HIV/AIDS.“

The wife of the president called on the Ministry of Health to create a platform that would mobilise funds from government agencies to provide adequate healthcare for the PLWHA.

She listed such agencies to include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Mrs Buhari, however, restated her commitment to the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV in the country.

“We don’t need to get other foreign agencies involved in taking care of our people. I believe that we have the resources which if utilised judiciously, will make all of us feel comfortable living in Nigeria,” she said.

She explained that free to shine campaign was designed to complement ongoing efforts towards the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis on the African continent.

Mrs Buhari also said that first ladies in Africa had committed themselves to the campaign with the aim at ending childhood AIDS in Africa by 2030 and keeping mothers healthy.

She said, “Many people living with HIV in Nigeria are unaware of their status, despite this challenge.

“Nigeria is committed to ensuring that the vision and mission of the free to shine campaign are achieved in the country.

“As UNAID Special Ambassador to the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, I need the promotion of treatment for children living with HIV in Nigeria.

“I have more reasons to ensure that this happens. My vision in this campaign is to end childhood AIDS in Nigeria and keep mothers healthy.

“This vision will be achieved through several programmes that will increase the number of HIV pregnant women identified and placed on treatment for their health and prevention of the transmission to their babies.

She, therefore, enjoined stakeholders to pay particular attention to issues that were critical to the reduction of HIV among mothers and their children.

Earlier, Mrs Helen Aphan, leader, Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN) appealed to the wife of the president to come to the aid of those infected.

“HIV treatment is still not available and accessible to many women living with the scourge. I want to use this medium to cry to the wife of the president to assist in making the treatment free and available,” Aphan said.

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The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, recently disclosed that at least 2, 131 pregnant women have tested positive to HIV, while 3, 876 children were placed under antiretroviral therapy (ART) within the last one year.

Apart from fears that the deadly ailment could be experiencing a resurgence, stakeholders are worried about the downslide in funds for HIV programmes, as most donors have pulled out, and there is little or no provision in the national and state budgets to fight the scourge.

Consequently, not more than one-third of pregnant women and children living with the virus are receiving treatment.

Lagos State Key Performance HIV Indicators for 2015 to 2017 made available by the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), showed that more women are getting tested for HIV in the state, just as more are receiving ARV through the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme.

The HIV indicator for the state showed that the total number of pregnant women counseled, tested and given HIV test results in 2015 was 96, 306. The number fell to 82, 506 in 2016 and rose to 123, 118 in 2017.

According to the report, despite the fact that more pregnant women were tested in 2017 for HIV (that is 123, 118), only 1, 252 tested positive compared to 1, 564 in 2015 when 96, 306 pregnant women were tested.

However, fewer women received PMTCT in 2017, that is 2, 167, compared to 2, 781 in 2015. But the 2017 figure was higher than the 1, 994 pregnant women receiving HIV treatment recorded in 2016.

Stakeholders are concerned that rising HIV infection figures are still being recorded, especially among pregnant mothers in a state like Lagos, with reasonable level of health awareness and budgetary allocation. They worry that if Lagos records such a surge, the situation in other states could be pathetic.

Director General of NACA, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said through the agency’s communication manager, Toyin Aderigbigbe, that “Based on the data we have in our records, there is no evidence that the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women is increasing, if anything, it’s lower than what we had in 2015 and earlier years.”

Aliyu further explained: “In Lagos State, the number of pregnant women tested for HIV increased from 82,506 in 2015 to 123,118 in 2017. Although the positivity rate for both years were the same (one per cent) and much lower than the positivity rate in earlier years (1.6 per cent in 2015 for instance), the fact that more women were tested meant that more positive cases were found (806 pregnant women with HIV in 2016, when compared to 1, 252 in 2017).”

The NACA boss said in the past few years, the agency has had about one in three pregnant women with HIV diagnosed placed on PMTCT, adding that the main difficulty with the programme has to do with getting pregnant women to attend ante-natal care.

According to Aliyu, a large number of our women do not access formal ante-natal care, which is the gateway to HIV testing and treatment. The physician said the Federal Government has already declared PMTCT as a priority and additional funds through Saving One Million Lives, and Global Fund NACA grant are being channelled towards eliminating transmission among babies.

“In the long, run we need integration of PMTCT with other maternal and child health programs, which NACA is already working on,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Idris, who reeled out the statistics at a media briefing on the activities of his ministry, explained that the $9.6m grant from donor agencies further assisted in the conduct of the AIDS indicator survey, implementation and provision of technical support in Epe, Ikorodu and Oshodi-Isolo councils.

He added that the number was discovered after conducting tests for the pregnant women during their visit to state-owned medical facilities.According to him, “At least 38, 791 pregnant women know their HIV status out of which about 2, 131 (HIV positive pregnant women) were enrolled for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission programme.

“By the end of 2017, the support provided through Global Fund was able to avail a minimum of 226, 768 persons, who were 15-years and above, with free tests.”

After the test, the commissioner said that 10, 623 persons were discovered to be living with HIV and placed on treatments in the three councils.

Latest figures from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), show that the country’s epidemic is generalised with the national average HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics (ANC), estimated to be around 3.0 per cent (compared with 4.1 per cent in 2010).

The ANC prevalence rates in sentinel sites range from 15.4 per cent in Benue State and 10.8 per cent in Akwa Ibom to 0.9 per cent in Zamfara State. HIV prevalence among key populations (KP) is much higher than the national average (19.4 per cent in brothel-based female sex workers (BBFSW), 8.6 per cent in non-brothel-based FSW (NBBFSW) and 22.9 per cent among men, who have sex with men (MSM).

HIV prevalence rates among sex workers and other identified vulnerable groups have been declining since 2007, but increasing among MSM within the same period.

Less than half of the female sex-workers (FSW) surveyed had comprehensive knowledge about HIV compared to 65 per cent of MSM and 51 per cent average for all survey participants. In total, about 3, 438, 442 people are currently estimated to be living with HIV in the country, which has the second highest burden of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the world.

About 880, 668 PLHIV are currently receiving treatment and there has been a slow decline in the estimated incidence of HIV in the country, with the number of new infections decreasing from an estimated 316, 733 in 2003 to 239, 155, a decade later in 2013.

Coverage rates for PMTCT, ART, viral load and early infant diagnosis (EID) remain unacceptably low and the country accounts for about one-third of new HIV infections in children (about 60, 000 annually) due to high mother-to-child transmission rates. Only 12 per cent of children living with HIV are on ARVs.

Due to the high number of AIDS-related deaths, 174, 253 in 2014 (down from 210, 031 in 2013) per year, the population of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) is estimated at over 1, 736, 782.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), in 2016, Nigeria had 220, 000 (150, 000 – 310, 000) new HIV infections and 160,000 (110, 000 – 230, 000) AIDS-related deaths. There were 3,200,000 (2, 300, 000 – 4, 300, 000) people living with HIV in 2016, among which 30 per cent (19 per cent – 42 per cent) were accessing antiretroviral therapy.

Among pregnant women living with HIV, 32 per cent (22 per cent – 44 per cent) were accessing treatment or prophylaxis to prevent transmission of HIV to their children.

An estimated 37, 000 (22, 000 – 56, 000) children were newly infected with HIV due to mother-to-child transmission. Among people living with HIV, approximately 24 per cent (18 per cent – 32 per cent) had suppressed viral loads.

Nigeria’s HIV epidemic affects all population groups and geographic areas of the country. It is the second largest epidemic globally. Key populations are disproportionately impacted by the epidemic.

According to UNAIDS, Nigeria is a fast-track country and its response is guided by the National Strategic Framework 2017–2021, which aims at ending AIDS by achieving zero new infections, zero AIDS related deaths and zero discrimination. Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a priority. Stigma and discrimination is a major challenge, especially towards key populations and people living with HIV.

Also, latest figures suggest that one-third (32 per cent) of all cases of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in the world happens in Nigeria. In 2013, just 30 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment. In 2016, just 32 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment.

Despite yearly increases, the number of pregnant women visiting health facilities remains low, as does the number of health facilities providing PMTCT services.

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Its Chairman, Hassan Mustapha, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that the victims died due to the activities of Boko Haram, which made it difficult for patients to access Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and other support services.

Mustapha was speaking against the backdrop of the 2017 World AIDS Day.

He explained that more than 27, 000 persons were registered for ART between 2011 and 2014, in various designated centres in the state, lamenting that the number dropped to 11, 303 clients in 2017.

He said that the deaths were due to lack of access to treatment, non compliance to the use of drugs and poor economic status of the persons living with the virus.

Mustapha disclosed that the association confirmed the death of its members through visitation and phone calls to their families, noting that most of the deaths were not recorded at the ART centres.

The chairman added that the reduction in the number of persons on ART was a clear indication that the persons were either dead or missing.

Mustapha maintained that the deaths were due to lack of access to ARV drugs in the communities affected by insurgency.

“Most of the ART centres were closed down due to Boko Haram insurgency, thereby making it difficult for our members to access treatment.

“Positive living persons in Damboa, Damasak, Monguno, Konduga, Malamfatori and other rural communities could no longer access treatment, as they could not afford transportation to travel to areas where services were available in Maiduguri and Biu.

“The situation was further compounded by the inability of the state government to pay its counterpart fund for the HIV/AIDS campaign programme in the last three years.

“Development partners could also not provide care and support services; economic strengthening support and other services to improve the health status of our members.

“It is clear that the virus is not curable but it could be controlled through effective management. Thousands of our members stopped visiting clinics and when we reach out to locate them we find out that they were either dead or missing,” he said.

Mustapha further decried non-inclusion of their members in the state government’s skills acquisition programme, to enable them engage in income generating activities and meet their needs.

“We have been able to control stigma in the society but we need economic empowerment support to enable us make a healthy living.”

However, Dr Haruna Mshelia, the Commissioner for Health, said that the state government had paid its counterpart fund to the programme, to facilitate its successful implementation.

Mshelia said the state had recorded success in the campaign against the virus in the past three years.

He disclosed that the state government had established 42 HIV Testing Service Centres in health facilities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and 52 Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission PMTCT sites, with 12 ART sites in general hospitals across the state.

Mshelia noted that the state government had scaled up activities in 237 health facilities, to control transmission and provide quality services for positive living persons.

The commissioner said that the services were provided in collaboration between the state government and National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), FHI360, IHVN and UNFPA.

“In 2017, some 236, 404 persons were tested for HIV and 1, 902 new cases recorded in the state.

“11, 303 clients are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment and 922 others on PMTCT.”

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Professor George Ogunjemite made the submission while delivering the 92nd Inaugural Lecture at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

Speaking on the topic ‘Monkeys and Apes: Man in Its Reminiscence’ the professor of primate community ecology said man must handle primates and other mammals in his environment with utmost care in order to maintain quality of life and the peaceful co-existence of all living things and prevent catastrophic diseases and plaques that can debilitate the human race.

He said most of the infectious agents affecting apes can affect human and vice versa. According to him, the remarkable genetic and physiological similarities between chimpanzee and human explain why they may be easily affected by the same disease causative agents.

He cited the example of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 which are of zoonotic origin with their closest relatives in chimpanzee and related species.

He also stressed that the newly emerged threat of ‘Ebola’ and ‘monkey pox’ diseases are often products of disturbances of ecological balance in the environment.

Professor Ogunjemite further said for human not to encounter a far deadlier disease than the prevailing ones, all and sundry must develop strong commitment and love for the conservation of all other living resources.

He declared that non-human primates provide an important data source for understanding many aspects of human behaviour and physiology. He said important advances in medicine and drug effects have come from the experimental use of monkeys and apes.

Professor Ogunjemite said it is evident that man has always profited from his natural environment in maintaining his health and that man will continue to depend on these animals to improve upon his health conditions.

The lecturer defined primates as a mammalian order to which humans belong and one of the dominant species of animals in West Africa sub-region. He said primates are mostly forest dwelling animals that are very important tropical biodiversity essential for various ecological processes, functions and services.

Professor Ogunjemite said primates are the next set of animals to man and the mirror with which we observe ourselves on the evolutionary history.

He pointed out that they live in organised community and have government of their own with the greatest differences between homo and the great apes relatives being the fact that humans have developed a sophisticated spoken, written and electronic language that enables him to plan far into the future and ability to learn from the past. This human highly evolved intellect according to him, gives him ability to make decisions regarding the life and death of his entire specie.

On the way forward Ogunjemite proposed that primate based ecotourism should be encouraged for tourist enjoyment, thereby promoting opportunities to admire and support conservation of the species and other animals living within the forest.

He also suggested that saving reserves such as the one in Ifon, Ondo State should be pursued because of its strategic location as an Ecotone for the forest and savannah ecologies of South West Nigeria, as the reserve harbours a high number of primate’s species of rainforest and savannah ecosystem of the region.

Introducing the lecturer, Chairman at the event and Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape described him as a vibrant academic who has served the university in various capacities and contributed positively to learning and research and human capacity development in his area of specialization.

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Oluwakemi Gbadamosi, the organisation’s Senior Manager, Public Relation and Communications, African Bureau, made the appeal in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Gbadamosi said that China, the second largest economy in the world, had only pledged $18 million to fund the project, adding that China makes a lot of money from its trade and investment deals in Africa but has continued to perform ‘abysmally’ in funding the global HIV and AIDs project.

“I want to also urge the Nigerian government to increase domestic funding for HIV and AIDS response because the global fund saves millions of lives annually targeting resources to HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria.

“The Nigerian government should tow the path of South Africa by increasing domestic funding and take issues of accountability more seriously.

“At the last replenishment cycle, China which is the second largest economy in the world only pledged $18 million.

“Japan and UK, who are the third and fifth largest economies, pledged 800 million and 171 million dollars, respectively,” Gbadamosi said.

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Zimbabwe also joined to commemorate International Condom Day. The day, which coincides with Valentine’s Day, was set to recognise the importance of condoms as a dual method for prevention of unplanned pregnancies as well as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

A statement by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said it remained committed to strengthening the promotion of condom use.

This the statement noted was recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations AIDS Agency as a proven method of preventing the spread of HIV.

“Zimbabwe has recorded one of the most successful condom programmes and in 2016 alone managed to distribute a total of 105 million male condoms countrywide,’’ the ministry said.

The ministry also called for increased funding for condom programmes.

Report said that Zimbabwe remains saddled by a heavy burden of HIV and AIDS, though prevalence rate has declined from 24 per cent to 14 per cent.

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She made the call in Ikeja, at the 2016 World Aids Day commemoration with adolescents living with HIV, organized by the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) in collaboration with Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA).

She noted that since HIV was not contracted through physical contacts like hand-shaking or hugging, it was unnecessary to deliberately avoid people with the challenge.

She said, “I urge Lagos State Aids Control Agency to continue to sensitize the public, on the negative impact of discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. All relevant government agencies should also work in synergy, to address issues that relate to stigma and discrimination against those persons.”

Mrs. Ambode who commended LSACA and PATA for a two-week camping recently organized for young adolescents living with HIV, advised the beneficiaries to follow expert advice, medical instructions, and to apply good discretion in their social interactions.

In his opening remarks, chief executive officer of LSACA, Dr. Olusheyi Temowo, advised that all Lagosians should know their HIV status, stressing that the infection was not a death sentence.

Corroborating him, the representative of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS), Dr. Olubunmi Asa disclosed that the business of kicking out HIV was everyone’s business.

She disclosed further that though the level of awareness was high on the scourge, the task of eliminating it completely was not over, but with concerted effort, it could be achieved.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of PATA, Mr. Francis Umoh lamented that much of the social and psychological needs of the young adolescents living with HIV were not met, stressing that they should be embraced and not isolated, and medication made available to them.

Special Adviser to the governor on Health, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, assured the adolescents living with the challenge, that they would not be abandoned by the state government.

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The unnamed 44-year-old is the first of 50 people to complete a trial of the ambitious treatment, designed by scientists and doctors from five of Britain’s leading universities.

The Managing Director of the National Institute for Health Research Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, UK, Mark Samuels, said the treatment was the first therapy created to have tracked down and destroyed HIV in every part of the body, including in the dormant cells that evade current treatments.

The scientists told The Sunday Times of London that presently “the virus is completely undetectable in the man’s blood, although that could be as a result of regular drugs.”

However, if the dormant cells are also cleared out it could represent the first complete cure.

Samuels said, “This is one of the first serious attempts at a full cure for HIV. We are exploring the real possibility of curing HIV. This is a huge challenge and it’s still early days but the progress has been remarkable.”

The trial is being undertaken by researchers from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, London, University College, London and King’s College, London.

HIV is so difficult to treat because it targets the immune system, splicing itself into the DNA of T-cells so that they not only ignore the disease, but turn into viral factories which reproduce the virus.

Current treatments, called anti-retroviral therapies, target that process but they cannot spot dormant infected T-cells.

The new therapy works in two stages. Firstly, a vaccine helps the body to recognise the HIV-infected cells so it can clear them out. Secondly, a new drug called Vorinostat activates the dormant T-cells so they can be spotted by the immune system.

A consultant physician at Imperial College, London, Prof. Sarah Fidler, said the new therapy was specifically designed to clear the body of all HIV viruses, including dormant ones.

Fidler said, “It has worked in the laboratory and there is good evidence it will work in humans too, but we must stress we are still a long way from any actual therapy.

“We will continue with medical tests for the next five years and at the moment we are not recommending stopping ART but in the future, depending on the test results, we may explore this.”

Only one person has ever been cured of HIV. He is Timothy Brown, also known as the ‘second’ Berlin patient, who received a stem cell transplant from a patient with natural immunity to HIV in 2008.

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