UN agencies credit drugs for fall in HIV-related deaths

Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries have experienced a general reduction in the rate of HIV/AIDS infection, but still has the highest infection rate in the world, a statement issued by the World Health Organisation and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said on Tuesday.

According to new data in the 2009 AIDS epidermic update, new HIV infections have been reduced by 17 per cent over the past eight years. Since 2001, when the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed, the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 15 per cent lower, which is about 400,000 fewer infections in 2008.

"International and national investment in HIV treatment scale-up have yielded concrete and measurable results," said Margaret Chan, WHO Director General. "We cannot let this momentum wane. Now is the time to redouble our efforts, and save many more lives."

An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are infected with the AIDS virus, with 67.1 per cent of the overall infection in Sub-Saharan Africa; while 70 per cent of the HIV and AIDS deaths and also 70 per cent of the newly infected adult and children of the overall figures come from the same region. Women population, however, accounts for approximately 60 per cent of the reported estimated HIV infections. The 2007 report revealed Nigeria to have 2.95 million infected population with 1.72 million of them as female.

According to the UNAIDS Executive Director, Michael Sidibe, "the good news is that we have evidence that the declines we are seeing are due, at least in part, to HIV prevention. However, the findings also show that prevention programming is often off the mark and that if we do a better job of getting resources and programmes to where they will make most impact, quicker progress can be made and more lives saved."

The new figures, however, show an increase from the 33 million reported in 2007, while the total number of people living with the virus in 2008 was 20 per cent higher than the number in 2000, and the prevalence was roughly three times higher than in 1990.

Prevention is key

In Abuja, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), John Idoko, has said that the hindrance of the Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) is the price of drugs.

Speaking at a press conference preceding the World AIDS Day celebration, which is to be held on December 1, Mr. Idoko said the PMTCT, which is the most cost effective way of preventing the transmission of the virus, is suffering some setback as the human cost of the epidemic is still very high.

The theme for the World AIDS Day is ‘Universal Access and Human Rights'.

"Prevention is key if we are going to meet the goals of the MDG, if we are going to meet the goals that this country has set up for itself with the seven-point agenda and the Vision 20:2020. One area of prevention, which we believe we can get 100 per cent success, is in the PMTCT," he said.

A senior laboratory technologist at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Tope Alabi, said that there is an increased awareness of the disease.

"The funniest part is that many people just walk up to you and say can you test me? This is so unlike before when many don't like to hear it not to talk of believing it," Mr. Alabi said. "Nigerians have developed the culture of safe sex and discipline in mating. You just have to avoid it or contact it. Though I have not read the report, it is a good development. But we still need to do more."

South Africa continues to be home to the world's largest population of people living with HIV - 5.7 million in 2007.