World AIDS Day is commemorated globally on December 1 to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and honour the lives of those affected by the disease.
The 2023 global theme of the programme is ‘Let the Communities Lead’ which was domesticated in Nigeria as ‘Communities Leadership to end AIDS by 2030’, reflects the country’s recognition of the importance and the significant role of communities’ leadership in driving the end to HIV/AIDS prevalence.
HIV epidemic
The HIV epidemic remains a public health challenge in Nigeria, with about 1.9 million people living with the virus in 2020. Despite progress in controlling the epidemic, challenges remain, including inadequate funding and limited access to prevention and treatment services for key populations.
AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 69% since the peak in 2004 and by 51% since 2010. In 2022, around 630 000 [480 000–880 000] people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide, compared to 2.0 million [1.5 million–2.8 million] people in 2004 and 1.3 million [970 000–1.8 million] people in 2010.
At a glance: HIV in Nigeria
1.9 million people with HIV.
1.3% adult HIV prevalence.
74,000 new HIV infections.
51,000 AIDS-related deaths.
1.7 million people on antiretroviral treatment.
Healthy children become healthy adults
Nigeria’s mortality rates for women and children are among the world’s highest. The ratio of 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has not improved over the last decade. Most of these deaths occur in northern Nigeria where health indices are poorer.
Nigeria has the world’s second highest number of deaths in children under five, losing around 2,700 every day from a ratio of 120 per 1,000 in 2016, although it has declined since 2003 down from more than 200 per 1,000. Only one out of three babies is delivered in a health facility.
The poorest among Nigeria’s population continue to be most in peril, whatever their age. While there have been drops of 31 per cent and 26 per cent in under-five and infant mortality rates, respectively, over the last 15 years, the decline in deaths of newborns over the same period is just 20 per cent highlighting an urgent need to scale up interventions targeting the youngest in the country.
The uptake of routine immunization remains poor and full immunization coverage has failed to gain traction as only one in four children are fully vaccinated. The situation for rural children causes greatest concern – only 16 per cent are fully immunized, compared to 40 per cent of children in urban areas. Measles vaccination coverage has now fallen below 50 per cent.
Despite making significant progress in the eradication of polio, which led to Nigeria being declared polio-free in 2015, insurgency in the northeast and the resultant insecurity is beginning to reverse these gains: four new cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) re-emerged in Borno State in August 2016.
Nigeria has 190,950 HIV/AIDS infections per year, the second highest rate in the world.
Nigeria has the world’s second highest burden of HIV/AIDS, with an estimated three million people living with HIV (PLHIV) and 190,950 new infections recorded in 2015. Nigeria’s HIV epidemic is generalized, with extensive regional variations in prevalence.
The opportunities for children to access diagnosis and care is limited. Approximately 260,000 children aged 0-14 years were living with HIV in Nigeria in 2015, with 41,000 new infections occurring among children, and only 17 per cent of children living with HIV having access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Why is HIV/AIDS still regarded a death sentence in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, the word ‘HIV/AIDS’ is more dangerous than the virus. Why is this so?
The label of word ‘HIV/AIDS’ on a person in Nigeria is customarily worse than the effect of the virus on the person. When one is down with such ailment, everyone seems to wave a farewell from afar unto his potential death rather than coming close to soothe the psychological downcast of the ill.
As of 2014 in Nigeria, the HIV prevalence rate among adults ages 15–49 was 3.17 percent. Nigeria has the second-largest number of people living with HIV and has one of the highest new infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa with an estimate of 3,200,000 and 220,000 people respectively.
HIV/AIDS in Nigeria is considered a death sentence, although the resultant death most times doesn’t come from the ailment itself, but the constant reminder of the patient’s impending doom and a vibrant withdrawal everyone gives to these HIV infected persons.
Stigma goes with discrimination and it’s an aspect of it. Stigma and Discrimination are major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care, globally. Stigma and Discrimination in the context of HIV/AID is unique when compared to other infectious and communicable diseases. It tends to create a “hidden epidemic” of the disease based on socially-shared ignorance, fear, misinformation, and denial. denial. This is particularly more intense in Nigeria, where a combination of weak health systems is entangled with poor legal and ethical framework.
Suggestions to address the stigma issue in AIDS prevention include, but are not limited to:
(1) The news media, home videos, radio jingles etc should be used to produce de-stigmatization programs in schools, hospitals, religious centers.
(2) The introduction of AIDS education can be integrated into the curriculum of teaching in the country from primary to university.
(3) Empowerment of the stigmatized group like the PLWHAs and the commercial sex workers as well as their involvement in the design and implementation of prevention programs in the country.
(4) Health education campaigns should integrate a change from fear to caring for Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) as this is particularly important for the health care personnel.
(5) More prevention activities should be situated in rural and remote areas than in urban locations, as it is currently in Nigeria. Since 65% of the population resides in the rural area, it is most appropriate to concentrate these programs where the majority of the population resides. This translates to more emphasis on primary care.
(6) More research is needed to study the role of culture, religion and social structures and their relationship to stigmatizing attitudes in the various ethnic communities that make up the over 140 million people in Nigeria.
(7) Destigmatization should be a major component of the Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom (ABC) approach in prevention strategies.
Over 98,000 living with HIV in Anambra only 58% know their status
Afam Obidike, commissioner for health in Anambra, while speaking on Thursday in Awka during a media briefing ahead of 2023 World AIDS Day, says about 98,960 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the state.
Obidike said with the national prevalence of 1.4 percent, Anambra’s HIV prevalence is ranked 5th in the country and the highest in south-east.
The commissioner said the state is making the progress towards attaining the global targets or reducing prevalence and increasing treatment.
“It is estimated that 98,960 residents are living with HIV out of which 58 percent know their status and only 44,808 are currently on treatment,” he said.
“Worthy of note is the gradual decline in new infections which is at 46 percent between 2021 and 2023 and AIDS related death which is at 32 percent between 2021 and 2023.
“We have scaled up prevention of mother-to-child transmission services to ensure that no woman transmits this infection to her baby.
“The good news is that with the advent of anti retro-viral therapy (ART), HIV is no longer a death sentence.”
The commissioner said the state is also scaling up access to HIV self-testing to tackle stigma and discrimination.
