President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a renewed global action to decisively address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African region and eliminate the disease by 2030.
He made the call on Wednesday at a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on HIV\AIDS to review the progress on the commitment to end the deadly disease by 2030 and provide recommendations to guide and monitor response in countries.
According to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), the president addressed the meeting in a video message.
Pledging Nigeria’s full commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and other international and regional initiatives towards eliminating HIV & AIDs in the world within the set goal, President Buhari said:
“We will continue to work with fellow Heads of State and Government across the continent to ensure sustained high-level political engagement in achieving these goals.
“I want to reiterate Nigerian Government’s full support for a clear and ambitious Common African Position & New Political Declaration that can help to reduce the public health threat of HIV/AIDS, strengthen resilience to end the disease, and in addressing current & future health emergencies.
“We further commit to urgently translating all new and agreed Political Declarations into country acts as a means of decisively addressing the HIV epidemic in the African region.”
Apprising the meeting of Nigeria’s response to control the disease, the President expressed delight that the country “has moved from a data-poor to a data-rich country with the results of the largest AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, conducted in 2018.”
He added that the result of this survey has enabled Nigeria to set realistic targets and identify those who were not being reached with the necessary services.
“This has further enabled Nigeria, through the support of the United States Government, Global Fund, Civil Society and other partners, to enrol almost 1.5 million Nigerians on life-saving HIV treatment.
“We have recorded tremendous growth in our treatment programme. Especially over the past 2 years,” the President said.
President Buhari told the meeting attended by Heads of State and Government, ministers and diplomats that Nigeria had made good its commitment at the High-Level Meeting Side Event at the 72nd Session of the UNGA in September 2017, to commence placing 50,000 Nigerians living with HIV on treatment annually, using national resources.
“Furthermore, I personally granted an exceptional waiver for the use of competitive international tender facilities to procure antiretroviral medicines at more than 30% cost efficiency, enabling more Nigerians to be placed on life-saving antiretroviral treatment within the same budget,” he said.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Buhari wants renewed global Buhari wants renewed global
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Buhari wants renewed global Buhari wants renewed global
and then