Stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS has commended the new commitment of government to use domestic funds to provide antiretroviral drugs to additional 50,000 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) each year.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) made the commendation in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
The statement was jointly issued by Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, Head of Communications, NACA, and Mr Charles-Martin Jjuuko, Communications and Global Outreach Officer, UNAIDS Nigeria.
The statement said Nigeria’s commitment was announced in a speech by President Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded high-level side event during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York.
It said the side event was convened by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda in collaboration with UNAIDS aimed to accelerate action and get countries on the Fast Track to end AIDS by 2030.
It quoted President Buhari saying that Nigeria recognise the impact of the global financing environment and the need for shared responsibility in order to end AIDS in Nigeria by 2030.
Buhari, represented by Dr Sani Aliyu, the Director-General of NACA, said: “We are committed to increased domestic resourcing of the AIDS response.
“The Government of Nigeria is committed to maintain the current 60,000 plus clients on life saving medicines and an additional 50,000 new clients per year.”