AIDS: NGO calls for increased efforts in retention, adherence, viral suppression

THE Coalition of Civil Society Network on HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CCSNHAN), an NGO, on Wednesday, called for increased efforts by stakeholders toward retention, adherence and viral suppression of HIV virus in the country.

Mr Ikenna Nwakamma, the first Co-Chairman of the society, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Nwakamma acknowledged that there was low viral suppression among young people living with HIV within the past year.

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He said “there is low viral suppression among young people living with HIV. According to PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) 2018 last quarter report, viral suppression among those aged ones to 19 years is less than 70 per cent.

“Males show lower viral suppression as Nigeria’s AIDS Indicator impact survey (NAIIS) shows gender disparity between males and females.”

The co-chairman stressed the need for increased sensitisation to encourage younger and older males to stay on treatment.

He explained that there was total negligence on men’s health, compared to the huge attention and resources continually invested in women and girl’s health.

He restated the need for adherence to therapy and retention, saying that care was a huge challenge in some places.

He called for immediate attention on the need to develop more flexible patient-centred HIV treatment plan.

Nwakamma, who decried the attitude of some people living with the virus, suggested that “differentiated care model” should be made available in their treatment programme.

He said, “some people living with the virus fail on their appointments because of factors like waiting time in the hospital, inconvenient appointments, stigma in the health facility, among other things.”

He advised that a model be introduced for people living with the condition to just pick up their drugs in a convenient manner to achieve a greater result in retention.

The society leader also urged hospitals to consider giving appointments based on time of the day considered convenient by the patients.

According to the National Agency on Control of AIDS (NACA), about 1.9 million people are living with the virus in the country.