Withdrawal Regime And The Preparedness of Nigerian Government To Completely Take Over HIV-AIDS Control And Treatment

Over the years Nigeria relied on international drugs for the treatment of the HIV virus. Today the donor countries and agencies are beginning to withdraw their assistance and the gradual winding down of these donors according to experts would make Nigeria manage 50 percent HIV/AIDS programme.

Statistics on new reports also indicate that International donor agencies who have had unrelenting support for the fight against the dreaded disease are also beginning to withdraw.

Eighty five percent of National HIV-AIDS responses in Nigeria comes from the donors while the Federal government counterpart contribution is fifteen percent and stakeholders are worried that the withdrawal in grants would pose a service threat to the national response to HIV treatment.

Going by recent statistics, efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS are said to have slowed down. Inspite of this, new cases of infection has decreased.

The issue on our hands is that persons living with HIV in Nigeria have protested lack of antiretroviral drugs which they have used freely for a long time. Now that donors are beginning to withdraw, what are the plans being put in place to ensure that the drugs are readily available?

The Nigeria government is expected to properly appraise and evaluate its capability to take over the management of HIV-AIDS programme to prevent its collapse.

By
Kierian Umeayo
Joy Ken Abakpoya
NTA