World AIDS Day: DEVCOM Seeks Support For People Living With HIV
By: Femi Mustapha
As Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the 2022 world AIDS day, the Development Communications (DEVCOM) has urged Nigerians to support people living with HIV and stop stigmatizing them.
The Programme Officer of DEVCOM, Fagbenle Marvellous stated this on Thursday in a statement made available to newsmen.
Marvellous explained that analysis by the United Nations (UN) reveals that inequalities are obstructing the elimination of AIDS.
“Early this year, UNAIDS stated that the AIDS response is in danger with rising new infections and continuing deaths in any part of the world. A new report shows that the underlying factor is inequalities. Also, the analysis by the UN (2022) reveals that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS and need urgent actions to get the AIDS response on track.”
“The Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Gambo Aliyu disclosed that new HIV infections gradually decline, 103,404 in 2019 to 92,323 in 2021, which is an indication that Nigeria will meet the United Nations target of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030”.
Aliyu also confirmed that more persons have commenced treatment in the country.
“In line with the director’s speech, UNAIDS Country Director, Leo Zekeng and Byanyima UNAIDS Executive Director, also called for equal access to HIV treatment services as well as addressing other barriers to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic so that the world will be able to defeat AIDS”.
