Abuja: The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has successfully placed 61,384 people living with HIV/AIDS on treatment, according to Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT Administration. This announcement was made during a press conference in Abuja to commemorate the upcoming 2024 World AIDS Day.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Fasawe emphasized the importance of this year’s World AIDS Day theme, ‘Take the Right Path: Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children’, which calls for renewed focus on addressing pediatric HIV and safeguarding the rights of individuals affected by the disease. She highlighted that World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1st, serves as an opportunity to unite efforts, increase awareness, support those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and honor the memory of those lost to the disease.
Representing the Director-General of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Olubenga Bello, Dr. Fasawe revealed that the number o
f individuals on treatment represents 223% of the projected number of people living with HIV/AIDS. This figure also includes individuals migrating from neighboring states. Of the 61,384 people receiving treatment, 1,048 are children, accounting for 3.8% and receiving crucial antiretroviral therapy.
Dr. Fasawe stated that the FCT, with an estimated population of 6.95 million, has a HIV prevalence rate of 1.4%, slightly higher than the national figure of 1.3%. The FCT Administration is actively expanding and strengthening HIV services across the territory.
“Our health sector response has been bolstered by a comprehensive network of 122 service delivery points offering antiretrovirals across the six Area Councils in the FCT,” she noted. Additionally, 285 conventional spoke sites and 37 unconventional sites provide decentralized community-based care to ensure services reach even the most remote populations. This decentralized model ensures inclusivity, enabling communities to access quality care and support clo
se to home.
To address pediatric HIV, the FCT has introduced unique interventions such as mentor mothers who serve as linkage escorts for pregnant women, guiding them through care pathways. The administration has also trained unconventional caregivers, like traditional birth attendants, on the importance of facility-births, prophylaxis, and early infant diagnosis with samples taken within 72 hours of life. Community initiatives like the Mothers’ Love Party and the AP3 Initiative further enhance support for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs.
Dr. Fasawe credited the successes to strong partnerships and collaborations with entities such as the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Mothers2Mothers, the Association for Reproductive and Family Health, and YouthRISE. These collaborations prioritize key populations, women, children, and vulnerable groups, ensuring comprehensi
ve care and support for every person diagnosed with HIV.
The FCT AIDS, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, alongside the FCT Agency for the Control of AIDS, has made significant strides in addressing the needs of the FCT population. Efforts include scaling up PMTCT services, expanding pediatric care, and decentralizing service delivery, driving progress in meeting and exceeding national targets.
While celebrating these achievements, Dr. Fasawe emphasized that the work is far from complete. Nigeria’s high burden of pediatric HIV demands sustained efforts to identify cases, link individuals to care, and prevent new infections. She reaffirmed the FCT Administration’s commitment to ending stigma and discrimination, significant barriers to care, and intensifying efforts to reach unreached populations.
Activities to commemorate World AIDS Day will conclude with a road walk from Government Secondary School, Garki, to Old Parade Ground, Garki Area 10.