Abuja – The Management Science for Health (MSH), an NGO, on Tuesday advocated for domesticate resources to combat HIV/AIDS in the country.
Dr Zipporah Kpamor, Country Representative of the organisation, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Kpamor said that it was working on modalities to mobilise local communities to generate resources required for the fight against HIV/AIDS programmes in Nigeria.
She said there is a need for “Nigerians to stand up and do things for ourselves’’.
According to her, going back to the communities to look for domestic funding of HIV/AIDS programmes is the next step we are going to do.
She said that communities had the capacity to do so if we work together, stressing that we will provide adequate information and mobilisation to achieve it.
She explained that the aim of MSH was to improve the life of women and children.
“On this, we have contributed in saving the lives of 24,000 women and children in Nigerian.”
Kpamor said MSH is working primarily in the area of HIV/AIDS, stressing that the NGO is implementing comprehensive prevention care and treatment programmes in five states.
She said with the support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 419,762 individuals were counselled and tested for HIV; and 29,163 adults and children were put on life saving therapy.
“In the past 10 years, through various interventions a total of 2,097,749 individuals were counselled and tested for HIV, including 750,166 pregnant women.
“9,580 placed on life saving medications and 66,881 Orphans and Vulnerable Children were served directly and indirectly.
“An estimated 4.4 million people have been reached through communities outreach activities by MSH’s PEPFAR Fellows and 100 civil society organisations have benefited from our institutional strengthening programme,’’ she said.
According to the Country Representative, MSH has contributed to saving 24,000 lives and improved the well-being of 36,000 vulnerable children.
She noted the declining funding from the US Agency for International Development and underscored the need to implement the programme through various projects that are well aligned to the National Strategic Health Development Plans.
Kpamor added that MSH has partnered with the Nigerian government across the three tiers to develop strategies that strengthen health systems to deliver a wide range of lifesaving services.
She said the programmes include creating national guidelines to mobilising communities, building workforces of community based health providers and improving quality of care. (NAN)