The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Nigeria has recorded a 22 percent drop in new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in 2021 from 2015.
Also, 90 percent of people living with HIV now have access to HIV treatment in the country.
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The organisation made these known in a series of tweets on its Twitter page on Friday.
It stated, “In Nigeria, 90% of people living with HIV now have access to treatment.
“95% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2021.
“90% of people living with HIV accessed treatment in 2021.
“22% decrease of new infections in 2021 from 2015.”
In #Nigeria?? 90% of people living with HIV now have access to treatment
✅95% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2021
✅90% of people living with HIV accessed treatment in 2021
✅22% decrease of new infections in 2021 from 2015
➡️ https://t.co/doBTMX68v9 #RC72AFRO pic.twitter.com/JybirPT44T— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) August 26, 2022
According to the health body, in 2018, the country, which has the third highest burden of HIV cases, was struggling with an ineffective response characterised by poor data quality, low service coverage and sub-optimal coordination and ownership.
“Recognising the need for change, the Government embraced a catch-up plan, devised by WHO to fast-track finding people living with HIV and putting them on treatment in states that contribute more than 50 per cent of the national unmet treatment needs.
“WHO provided guidance on setting up an HIV ‘situation room’ for coordinating commodities logistics and distributing HIV drugs, ultimately improving service points and patients’ retention in care. A clinical HIV mentorship programme for facility health workers strengthened service delivery and equity in care,” it said.
It noted that the coverage of HIV treatment in Nigeria in 2021 was around 90 per cent, up from 50 per cent in 2015, when only about 61 per cent of the population knew their status.
It, however, said new infections are on a downward trend, from 95,000 in 2015 to 74,000 in 2021.
HIV is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the white blood cells called CD4 cells. It destroys these CD4 cells, weakening the person’s immunity against opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis and fungal infections, severe bacterial infections and some cancers.
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