The Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), has called on the Minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to, as a matter of urgency, release funding for the implementation of the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) to HIV activities in the country.
Speaking to journalists on Friday in Abuja, the national coordinator of the association, Mr Edward Ogenyi, wondered how many people will die of HIV/AIDS before the Federal Ministry of Finance releases fund for the implementation of the Presidents Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS which was designed to urgently bridge the existing service access gaps for HIV/AIDS.
The association noted with concern, the miserable conditions of people living with HIV/AIDS as well as the high number of people dying daily from AIDS-related complications due to lack of access to anti-retroviral drugs, and the ongoing withdrawal of funding support for HIV/AIDS to Nigeria by external funding partners.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) launched in July 2013 was to be implemented with N140billion but so far, under N8billion was appropriated but not released under the SURE-P.
The PCRP aims to avail 80 million Nigerians the knowledge of their HIV status; enrol an additional 600,000 eligible adults and children on ART; provide ART for 244,000 HIV pregnant for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), provide access to combination prevention services for 500,000 most at risk populations (MARPs).
“Madam Minister, this is an SOS. Save our women, our new born babies and our generation from HIV/AIDS. We are tired of mourning and burying our members. Development starts with human beings.”
The national public relations officer of the association, Samaila Garba, said HIV positive persons were being charged N1,500 for ante natal services which are supposed to be free, saying, “If our members are being charged, that means we are far from achieving HIV free- country.”
He stated, “Since treatment is for life, we want the federal government to rise to the occasion and take ownership of the programme. AIDS’ death is on the increase because government has not owned up this process.”
