THE need for affirmative action and essential support in educating Nigerians about the HIV and AIDS epidemic while ensuring greater protection for pregnant women and children from HIV transmission, coupled with enablement of greater financial resources for Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and improved access to HIV treatment remain key issues in Nigeria even as the country joins the rest of the world to mark the 11th World AIDS Day (WAD) today.

Minister of Health, Prof Babatunde Oshotimehin noted ahead of this year’s WAD which has the theme “Universal Access and Human Rights.” said the nation also needs to critically look at the issue of rights and laws so as to ensure that access to HIV treatment is made as realistic as possible.

“We need to craft a language that captures issues of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in a way that it would not discriminate against the women,” remarked the Minister during the public hearing on the Bill for an Act against discrimination against persons living with or affected by HIV & AIDS, held last week at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Addressing the Joint Committee on HIV & AIDS, Malaria, TB, Leprosy Control and Human Rights, Oshotimehin said one of the greatest challenge in the HIV & AIDS battle for now is getting mothers to go for ante-natal check up, to test for HIV and for those living with the virus, to prevent transmission of HIV to their children .

“What we can do well apart from transmission and injection safety is to ensure fail-safe PMTCT procedure. We should look at the issue of rights because not all of those who need HIV treatment have access. This is relevant because as we go on, it is obvious that we are going to be having more people needing treatment.”

Oshotimehin said there arechallenges in the national HIV & AIDS response because the country is too dependent on donor funding to run the initiative. “As we go on, if we do not instill more resources locally, there are going to be problems ensuring that all of those who require universal access eventually get it,” he noted.

He recalled that since the dawn of the global economic crisis, funding from PEPFAR – the largest external source of fund for Nigeria’s HIV & AIDS control and prevention initiative had levelled off. “Except the American government has a rethink, we are not likely to get more mileage in terms of funding from PEPFAR, and those newly coming into the treatment plan are not likely to get access.

“If we are telling people to go out and test, the implication is that there is going to be increased demand on treatment and counselling, hence there has to be a way to meet the demand, bbecause the right to treatment is inalienable.”

The Minister enjoined the joint committee to appropriate enough fund to the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) so that it can continue to educate Nigerians. Everyone knows there is HIV, but only few know all about the modes of transmission and protection against infection. Everyone can be in position to make an informed choice, that is why we need to ensure that all our constituencies are well primed towards ensuring people get the right information.”

On his part, Director General NACA, Prof John is worried about the low rate of knowledge of HIV status amogst Nigerian adults. Accordind to him, “a large chunk of persons with HIV in Nigeria are unknown because not everyone who is supposed to goes for HIV testing.. “This leaves a big gap,” Idoko said. “It is crucialwhen looking at handling the issue of treatment and minimising stigma and discrimination because response is dependent on knowledge and attitude.”