Leadership (Abuja)
Winifred Ogbebo
26 June 2008
Abuja — The Director-General, National Action Committee on AIDS Agency, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, has disclosed that over 269,000 HIV positive Nigerians are being treated presently all over the country.
Osotimehin, who gave this disclosure at a three-days Second National Council on AIDS, which is holding in Plateau State, said the essence of the AIDS council meeting is to look at how the partners, stakeholders and government can deepen response to HIV/AIDS in the rural areas of the country. The Director-General also stressed the importance for local governments and states to put in appropriate budgetary measures in the next five years to ensure sustainability in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In his words: "There is fragility in depending on donor's funds. Its good to kick off, it's good to capitalise on the response but over time, we need to take over. When you depend on people for resources, they call the shots".
The Director disclosed that the major challenge confronting the fight against HIV/AIDS apart from funding is the fact that the terrain is still uneven. "What is happening in Plateau State is not the same in Benue State and what is happening in Benue is not the same in Cross River State. We need to drag it to the point where there is uniformity and conformity in the system. While declaring the Forum open, the governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, said that HIV/AIDS is indeed a pandemic that is ravaging the entire human race and is no respecter of people, families, tribes, communities and nations of the world.
Governor Jang noted that HIV/AIDS has rendered millions of children orphans creating a community of people living with the virus. "I feel that one of the challenges before us at the moment is the resources and drugs to halt the pandemic. This is to reduce the suffering create more awareness about HIV/AIDS and the preventive measures to check its spread", he stated.
The governor commended the work and commitment of the Plateau State Action Committee on AIDS saying that the intervention programmes and strategies, have become one of the best in the country.
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