Agency Set To Commemorate 2022 AIDS Day

In preparation to mark this year’s World Aids Day (WAD), the National Agency for the Control of Aids, (NACA) has re-emphasised that unequal access to HIV Prevention and treatment services perpetuate HIV among vulnerable population groups.

The Director General of the agency Dr Gambo Aliyu made this known to a journalist in Abuja, the nation’s capital saying this year’s World AIDS Day seeks to promote equal access across populations that are marginalized among vulnerable and key affected populations groups by removing economic, social, cultural and legal barriers to HIV prevention services across population groups that are vulnerable to HIV.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of health, the National Coordinator of the National AIDS, and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Dr Akudo Ikpazu said that Nigeria is moving closer to its targets and is certainly proud of the achievements working together with its partners.

She asked stakeholders to work together to address the inequalities which was a barrier to ending the epidemic.

The Country Director and Representative of, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Dr Leo Zekeng said this year’s World Aids Day is to promote equal access across population groups that are marginalized and vulnerable key affected population groups by removing economic socio-cultural, legal barriers, HIV prevention services as well as treatment across the groups.

“Our treatment sites have increased from just 251 in 2007 to over 2,262 in 2020, new HIV infection is gradually in declination from 103,000 in 2019now to  just a little over 92,020 21. There has also been significant growth in key population treatment centers from just 10 sites in 2017”, he said.

This year’s global theme for World AIDS Day is “Equalise” and the National theme is “Equalise to END AIDS: Equal Access to Treatment and Prevention Services.