Concerns that Nigeria’s HIV prevalence now put at 1.9 per cent may astronomically increase in the next few months if free condoms and HIV tests kits persist nationally.
Coordinator, Civil Society on HIV/AIDS (CisHAN), Oyo State chapter, Mr Seun Onifade, stated this at the Civil Society Interaction for 2019 World AIDS Day, with the theme ‘HIV/AIDS Agenda Beyond NAISS; Communities make the difference’ in Ibadan.
Mr Onifade said the dearth of free condoms for distribution and HIV test kits can reverse all the gains Nigeria had made in its battle against HIV.
According to him, condoms and HIV test kits to distribute and use in many pubic health facilities and institutions were freely available when Nigeria had partners supporting its HIV interventions.
Mr Onifade said Nigerian government must rise up to make sure that these are available both in our facilities, including the non-health sector.
He declared, “HIV test kits are no longer available like before. On campuses where we distribute free condoms, there is none to distribute again. These are young people who have a high HIV risk.
“Cases of HIV will increase than what we currently have. It is not yet over so government should not relax. Our donors should not go on holidays; there are no resources for the Civil society organisations to do the work.
“There was a time HIV prevalence in Oyo State was 1.1 per cent. Immediately we relaxed, it went to 3.3 per cent. Now, it is 0.9 per cent, but we have to be very careful so that it does not go back to 3.3 per cent again.”
Onifade said gaps due to poor funding of HIV programmes had also contributed to increased cases of Persons Living with HIV defaulting from HIV treatment.
Dr Abiodun Oduwole, also a panellist at the event, declared that the paradigm shift in the age of persons with the highest HIV prevalence from 15 to 24 years to 24 to 35 years means more Nigerians are surviving the virus.
He, however, declared that the 24 to 35 age group should be prioritised in HIV programming to ensure a further reduction in new HIV cases.
Meanwhile, CisHAN’s secretary, Mrs Ogunkunle said stigma and discrimination were still fueling HIV spread in Nigeria and urged for increased community’s involvement in the fight against HIV.
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