|
|
Nigeria: FG Budgets N1.1 Billion to Fight HIV/Aids
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
This Day (Lagos)
8 July 2008
Posted to the web 9 July 2008
Onwuka Nzeshi And Kunle Aderinokun
Abuja
The Federal Government has allocated N1.115 billion in the 2008 budget to tackle the scourge of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The Director-General, National Agency for the Control of HIV /AIDS, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin disclosed this in Abuja at a workshop on Budget Lines for Ministries Departments and Agencies Towards the fight Against HIV/AIDS.
He, however, explained that of the total amount, N1.1billion has been allocated to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) while only N15million was allocated to NACA.
Osotimehin also acknowledged the various forms of assistance Nigeria has received from international organisations and donor agencies, especially the World Bank which has supported the battle against AIDS to the tune of $90 million over the last five years.
The NACA boss said that though the World Bank assistance ended in June, the international financial organisation has signed an additional financing agreement for $50million covering another two years extension.
The fund, according to Osotimehin, is for the implementation of capacity building, HIV/AIDS funds for civil society and expanding public sector response in federal, 36 states and the federal capital territory.
He further stated that there has been enormous response and support from the Non Governmental Organisations, faith based organisations, private sector and profit making organisations.
But he warned that danger looms from over dependence on donor agencies and international organisations, recalling that the nation was stranded in 1993 when the international organisations sanctioned Nigeria and withdrew their support.
Osotimehin claimed that there is the need to establish core funding for HIV/AIDS to ensure Nigeria can provide 80 per cent requirement over time.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman who was represented at the event by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Jibrin Zarewa noted that federal government would agree on the need to create a budget line for HIV/AIDS activities in the Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies.
In order to reduce over-dependence on foreign donor agencies and fast track public service response to HIV and AIDS, Usman said there is need to create an internal funding mechanism that would sustain the tempo of activities and consolidate the achievements recorded through the World Bank assistance.
"This is even more crucial need when one considers the fact that HIV/AIDS is no longer considered a health problem, but a development and economic issue that cuts across all spheres of our National lives and activities," he said.
Usman said already the number of deaths caused by the virus is growing and UNAIDS has estimated that 3 million Nigerians die annually which now makes government intervention very urgent. The Federal Government had in 1998 earmarked N300,000 to create awareness for the existence of the virus.
But as democracy deepened, NACA was established to consolidate the battle with N750m released to NACA as government's commitment.
Although there was $90m from the World Bank to cover six federal lines, presently there are up to 30 federal lines and the new emphasis is that there should be provision for all.
Available statistics on the level of the spread in the country showed that the North Central Zone ranks highest with 6.1 per cent. Benue State tops the prevalence list with 10 per cent, the highest in the country.
|
Ekiti has the lowest number of persons living with HIV while research has shown that there are variations in terms of the rate of prevalence in rural and urban areas in different states of the country.
sir my name is martin chidi emeali.am a network marketer, i have this prd. frm usa called noni that fight aids its a juice i would vbe glad if the govement of nig,.can get that for the prd is very powerfull
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
