MR Batholomew Ochonye, the Country Director, Heartland Alliance International (HAI) on Tuesday in Abuja,
called for synergy among the three tiers of government to tackle HIV/AIDS.
Ochonye told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that only direct and committed involvement of government in treatment and preventive interventions would mitigate new infections of the scourge in the country.
He urged the Federal, State and Local Governments to take necessary steps to check the spread of the virus.
He said “there is need to take care of people living with HIV to achieve viral suppression and reduce the efficacy of transmission of new infection from an infected person to others.
“Treatment and prevention are key for those at higher risk of HIV infection, we need to make pre-exposure prophylaxis available, accessible and affordable to pro-actively prevent new infections.
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“Government must as a matter of urgency, invest heavily in the nation’s health system for viable and quality treatment services that will reduce the burden of HIV on families and communities.’’
He explained that the prevention of parent to child transmission should be a top priority to ensure no child is born with HIV even if the parents are living with the virus.
“Universal access to healthcare at all levels from primary to secondary and tertiary institutions should be the priority of the government,’’ Ochonye said.
He urged the government not to depend on the international community for funding of HIV prevention, treatment and care but take the lead in investing in the healthcare of its population.
The HAI director restated calls for collective war against HIV/AIDS, saying “a healthy population is a key to a great nation.
“Some states are known with a higher prevalence of HIV and we have to prioritise those states for support with public health interventions down to the rural hard-to-reach areas where healthcare is a luxury.
“The media has a critical role to play in creating demands for HIV/AIDS services and holding government and other stakeholders accountable for the response,’’ Ochonye said.
He expressed optimism that it was possible to end new infection in Nigeria with sincerity of purpose and increased commitment to the response.
He described the last National AIDS Indicator Survey (NAIIS) report as a clear confirmation of progress made over the years.
According to Ochonye, efforts toward tackling the scourge has brought down national HIV prevalence to 1.4 per cent from five per cent about 10 years ago.
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