Put your money where your mouth is …… NATION

This year’s World AIDS Day on December 1 was a time to tell the country’s three tiers of government a few home truths. At an event to mark the occasion in Abuja, the National Agency for AIDS Control (NACA) accused the political authorities of abandoning the treatment and intervention programmes on HIV/AIDS.  The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAID) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which are international agencies, also lent their voices to what may be described as a campaign to make the country’s political leaders demonstrate greater sensitivity to HIV/ AIDS.

The grim picture is that three million people are living with HIV in Nigeria and only 800,000 are on treatment. NACA Director of Policy and Strategy, Alex Ogundipe, was quoted as saying: “Nigeria has left HIV treatment and interventions in the hand of donors. It is not right and that is why we are unable to provide the response to everybody that should be on treatment right now. Local governments should see people that are positive as those who can still contribute to this country’s development and provide them the best health care services.”

UNAID Country Director Dr. Bilali Camara’s comments were more pointed: “It is not that donor partners are abandoning HIV response in Nigeria, but they are tired and want to see the Nigerian government do more on their own in response to HIV. Somebody who is coming to help you with your own issue, you need to demonstrate to that person that you are also concerned and you are putting resources in it.”

Against this backdrop, the HIV elimination target might just be a fantasy. “Getting to Zero: Ending HIV/AIDS by 2030” is easier said than done, given the circumstances described by representatives of NACA, UNAID and WHO.

For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Camara was clear enough about the path to follow. He said: “This means investing in the issue and we are calling on the Nigerian government to do more and see how it can match the international resources coming into this country with local response. This will trigger an impactful response which can end the HIV epidemic by 2030.”

It is curious that, to go by the information, the country is behaving as if foreigners should carry the HIV burden of its citizens at home. Of course, that is unrealistic. It goes without saying that the onus is on the country’s leaders to fill the identified major gaps in the response to HIV/AIDS.  This is a case where lip service will not work. What will work is: Put your money where your mouth is.

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