Nigerian Federal Government has the Political Will And Commitment to Sustain the Progress So Far Made in Combating HIV And AIDS
President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, declared that the Federal Government had the political will and commitment to sustain the progress so far made in combating HIV and AIDS in the country.
People living with HIV/AIDS rose by about 97% in the last 10 years and that 500,000 persons were now on anti-retroviral.
He made this declaration at the Special Session for the 2012 World AIDS Day Commemoration in Abuja.
Jonathan said government recognizes that HIV is a significant threat to sustainable development and a huge amount of resources will be required to effectively combat the epidemic.
The president was represented by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim.
He explained that a Partnership Framework signed with the US government in 2001, would see a significant increase in spending on HIV and AIDS from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent in 2015.
Jonathan said that the 2012 theme "Resourcing the HIV Response to Achieve Zero AIDS related Deaths" mirrors the challenges being faced by the country in the fight against the disease.
The head of State said the 2012 UN HIV and AIDS Report showed the commitment of African leaders to intervene by showing an increase in investments into HIV initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa.
"Over a million people living with AIDS, many of who do not know their status for fear of being stigmatized require treatment.
"In the light of evidence that treatments do not only save lives, but is also a potent weapon for prevention, it is imperative that more investment is made on HIV treatment," he said.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
