The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has disclosed that Nigeria has recorded a 35 per cent reduction in HIV/AIDS-related death between 2010 and 2019.
According to the agency, about an estimated 13,017,097 people have been tested, counselled and received results showing their individual status.
NACA Director-General, Dr. Gambo Aliyu made the revelation during the agency’s 14th anniversary which held in Abuja on Monday.
He explained that the incidence of HIV/AIDS-related death which was initially pegged at 68,600 in 2010 has dropped to 52,392 in 2019.
The director also declared that the 35 per cent reduction in deaths of Persons Living With HIV/AIDS was a remarkable progress in the nation’s quest to protect its citizens from the infectious disease.
“More persons are being placed on treatment in Nigeria than ever before, morbidity and mortality rates are declining thereby facilitating high population based viral load suppression among HIV positive persons on ART in Nigeria.
“There is an increased ownership of the response as the Federal Government has continued to make good her promise of placing 50,000 persons on treatment annually,” he said.
In 2018, the agency with the support of her partners had led the largest population based HIV/AIDS survey in the world, leading to a rebasing of the HIV epidemic in Nigeria from a prevalence of 5.8 per cent to 1.4 per cent.
Despite the success of the exercise, Aliyu stated that the HIV response was inundated with challenges which threatened to erode the successes achieved.
He also expressed optimism that the lessons learnt from the HIV multi sectoral response gains, leverages on the community and HIV infrastructures as well as its resources has been instrumental to the Nigerian COVID-19 response resilience.
