THE Senate President , Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday requested for increased global attention for HIV/AIDS funding in Nigeria.
Contained in a statement signed and made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, on the occasion of World Health Day 2017, Saraki, posited that with the decision by major foreign donors to suspend funding for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDs programs, the fate of over 3.4million Nigerians living with the infection would remain uncertain.
He said, “Information at our disposal reveals that significant global support for HIV/AIDs in Nigeria has been withdrawn.
“In order not to jeopardize the treatment of the millions of Nigerians that are living with HIV and AIDS, at this point, government at all levels must continue to work with our international partners to identify alternative sources of funding.
“Without careful planning now, the negative impact of the funding decrease in HIV/AIDs programming is not far off. The fire brigade approach will not work on this issue, foresight, preparation and strategies must be put in place to mitigate against the potential threat to human life.
“Additionally, we must assemble a team of prominent medical professionals and eminent Nigerians both at home and abroad to create a campaign to persuade the donor community to reconsider their decision to stop HIV/AIDs funding,” he continued.
Saraki reassured that the Senate would work to ensure that there are no gaps in the HIV/AIDS funding regime.
Also, the Senate President expressed confidence about the fact that the government’s external funding requests and the 2017 budget contain provisions to fund initiatives targeted at rolling back the spread of polio and cholera, which have experienced gradual resurgence in the Northern part of the country.
“With the various challenges facing Nigerian’s health infrastructure, now is not the time to retreat on HIV/AIDS. The loss of funding will create immediate stress on an already overburdened system. We can overcome the the threat, but what will be the unforeseen price?”, he noted.
