FG equips 1,000 healthcare centres

The Federal Government says it has equipped 1,000 healthcare centres for comprehensive HIV treatment in the country.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this at the Central Dissemination of the 2016 National Guidelines for HIV prevention, treatment and care on Thursday in Abuja.

“We are therefore duty bound to offer antiretroviral drugs as prevention to all persons who are at a high risk of contracting HIV and all persons on treatment are entitled to one viral load test per year.

“We will place emphasis on differentiated system of care that are adjustable to the individual needs of the patient,” he said.

Dr Patrick Dakum, the Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), however said that the existing guidelines and protocol was not sufficient to meet the demand of the USAID.

Dakum said that this was introduced to keep the pace with global trend which will also help in the prevention of HIV transmission.

According to the IHVN boss, the launching of the guideline in December 2016 marked the beginning of a new phase in the administration and treatment of HIV in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has now adopted the test and start strategy for treatment of persons living with HIV,” he said.

The Executive Director of PLAN Foundation, Mr Oladapo Obatunde, described HIV testing and treatment process in the Nigerian hospitals as very poor.

‎Obatunde also said that there was need to initiate treatment literacy for people living with the virus.‎He called on government to address the issue of stigma of people living with HIV which has become a barrier in the society.