Nigeria Committed To AIDS 2030 Plans – Health Minister

TAIWO ADELU

Nigerians may soon heave a sigh of relief over HIV/AIDS health related issues as the government restated commitment towards achieving its set targets.

The Federal Government on Tuesday maintained its resolve to end the HIV/AIDS scourge by 2030.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, made this statement at an event to commemorate World AIDS Day, with the theme “Take the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children, and End the scourge in Nigeria by 2030.

World AIDS Day is observed globally on December 1st to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to honour the lives affected by the epidemic.

Salako stated, “This administration, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains committed to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. We are determined to sustain the response where no child is left behind.

“With a current HIV prevalence of 1.4 per cent in the general population and an estimated 2 million people living with HIV, it is critical for us to evolve the response to meet the needs of vulnerable groups. I am pleased to announce that we have taken a step forward in the fight against the disease by ensuring HIV is fully integrated into the sector-wide approach (SWAp), which will help ensure that all resources are aligned with our national health priorities. This will continue to lead the HIV response with full government ownership and accountability.

“Today, I call on state governments, the private sector, and community leaders to ‘take the right path’ by scaling up interventions aimed at preventing HIV transmission among children. Our strategy must be holistic — addressing the social, cultural, and economic barriers that hinder access to healthcare services for women and children.”

Popular Nollywood actress Funke Akindele also pledged to intensify her efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, with a focus on awareness, stigma reduction, and access to treatment.