Abuja — Federal government yesterday received 100 million Pounds (about N26 billion) from the Department For International Development (DFID) for the Enhancing Nigeria Response (ENR) to HIV/AIDS programme for a six-year period.

The Team Leader, Health and Development of the DFID Jane Miller who made the donation at the inuaguration of ENR National Steering Committee (NSC) in Abuja Monday said the goal of the programme was to contribute to Nigeria's achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) six by reducing the spread of the virus.

According to her, the feat of reducing the spread of the virus would also be achieved through strengthening of the stewardship and coordination roles of the federal and state governments towards an effective, multisectoral and evidence based HIV/AIDS response and improved targeting of interventions through better knowledge obtained from monitoring and evaluation of HIV programmes, surveys and research.

While inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Health, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin hinted that although much has been put in place in the fight against the spread of the virus,a lot more still needed to be done adding that the gains of the past decade in HIV should not be reversed, but be passed on for future successes.

Osotimehin noted that continuous support from partners had indeed brought about positive changes in the Nigerian population and their response to the disease.

He expressed hope that the pandemic can be overcomed in the country adding that "HIV/AIDS is not a project that can stand on its own because it has implication for tuberculosis, health system strengthening and human resources for health hence the need for a health system that works".

Speaking also, the Director General of National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko who is also a member of the committee said the programme would be very efficient for prevention of the pandemic while urging the committee members to employ their wealth of experience in the task of fighting spread of the virus.

Prof. Idoko pledged that the committee would discharge their duties diligently with the sole objective of meeting their objectives. The committee is expected to meet twice yearly to provide strategic advisory guidance to the programme and participate in the dissemination of programme outcomes and advocate in supporting other agencies, both private and public to scale up outcomes.

On his part, the Managing Director Society for Family Health (SFH) and managing agent for the programme, Mr. Bright Ekweremadu, said the SFH in partnership with Action Aid Nigeria, Population Service International (PSI), BBC and others would be responsible for delivering the project.

Ekweremadu who is also the team leader for ENR said the government of Nigeria would play a central role in facilitating access to safer sex and reproductive health products.

The ENR programme, already running in Kaduna, Benue, Crosss Rivers and Nassarawa states would after two years be extended to eight other states of the federation, he noted.