WAD: IHVN advocates enrollment of PLWHA in health insurance

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) has urged government at all levels to ensure the enrollment of People Living with HIV/AIDS in health insurance scheme.

The IHVN Regional Manager, Federal Capital Territory, Dr Tangkat Holse at the flag-off of the 2024 World AIDS Day (WAD) Campaign, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the event organised by the IHVN FCT Region, in collaboration with the FCT Health Management, was “Take The Right Path: Sustain The HIV Response and Stop HIV among Children to End AIDS.”

Holse also urged government and stakeholders to sustain efforts targeted at reducing the prevalence and spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

He said that globally the spread of HIV/AIDs had been reduced and the interventions to further reduce the spread especially among children were ongoing.

He added that based on validated data from that Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) the prevalence of the disease in Nigeria had been reduced from over seven per cent to about 1.4 per cent as at 2018.

“I want to appreciate the government of Nigeria for overseeing this control.

‘’We also want to urge the government to ensure that we sustain the gains that we have recorded around the control of HIV/AIDS.

“Also to ensure that adequately, people living with HIV are enrolled into the healthcare system. This will provide additional services at very low cost.

“For all the Nigerians, as we have mentioned, it is important to continuously provide support for relations who are positive or living with HIV/AIDS.

“We should also continuously ensure that we create awareness on HIV/AIDS around our environment,’’ he said.

Holse also urged Nigerians to adhere to lifestyles that help to prevent the spread of the disease.

“The strategies around HIV-AIDS control are well known by almost all of us. First, it is to understand the fact that HIV is a disease that can be controlled by taking the first decision of knowing one status.

“After knowing the status, if you are positive, you adequately access care. If you negative, you continue with the ways of life that will ensure that you remain negative,’’ he said.

Speaking on the importance of WAD, Holse said it was to create the necessary awareness on the disease and increase the quality of live for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Holse noted that interventions were ongoing to further reduce the prevalence of the disease among children below the age of ten.

“This coincides with the theme of the year where we are looking at controlling HIV spread among students. The disease can be controlled.

“So, today is also very significant to improve the quality of lives of people living with HIV/AIDs’’ he said.

Dr Dan Gadzama the acting Director, Public Health Department, Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the FCT, assured residents that the government of FCT through the Social Services Secretariat, particularly public health department was committed to ensuring that FCT remains HIV free.

Gadzama said that the social impact of HIV was quite enormous; as it affects personal lives, families and economy wellbeing of the country.

He said that the FCT had strengthen its Preventing Mother to Child Transmission through effective innovation with health and non-health sector.

“This year’s theme is very apt as we are looking at doing the right thing to ensure that children are HIV free.

“We have over 300 HIV delivery services point across the public and private sector and all HIV tests are free, ” Gadzama said.

He added that those who HIV positive also have access free Anti-Retroviral Treatment, urging residents to take advantage of the innovation to access the various services.

Meanwhile, Dr Ugochi Ajaew, an ART Clinician with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation restated the commitment of the organisation to effective responses to HIV matters.

The event attracted stakeholders such as Youth Rise (ARFH), International Research Centre for Excellence and other stakeholders.

Highlights  of the event include HIV/AIDS awareness campaign road walk from the Government Secondary School in Garki to  the Old Parade Ground, distribution of sewing and granting machines to some indigents and vulnerable women in FCT, as well as conduct of free HIV testing services.