… FG replies, assigns N4.5 billion to HIV treatment
Nigeria was left to finance its own health challenges, largely unattended, when the President of the United States Donald Trump scale the reverse help for HIV/AIDS and other fatal diseases in poorer nations.
Trump signed an executive order five days ago suspension of foreign aid for 90 days, including financing support for Africa, arguing that practice is not consistent with American values and interests.
The US president approved limited access to life -saving medical drugs and services, enabling the continuation of the US President’s emergency services in the sphere of medical services served by AIDS (Pepfar) in Nigeria and other countries.
But the situation meant that Nigeria was trying to satisfy the needs of 68 million malaria and 1.9 million HIV patients, a few of whom survived to American help.
Jean Kaseya, general director of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the trend is a serious threat to Africa.
In an interview with CNN, Kaseya said that Africa received $ 8 billion from the USA from the USA in 2024, 73 percent went to the healthcare sector.
In the years 2005–2020 about $ 6.2 billion was spent in Nigeria within the years 2005–2020, with about 80 percent of funds from external donors, mainly from Pepfar and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
While this happened, government funds on HIV progressively dropped from 11 percent in 2007 to three.9 percent in 2021, in accordance with the info of the National AIDS (NACA) Agency.
Read also: Nigerians to proceed access to HIV treatment despite the cutting of help
Government expenditure focuses on preventive services and human resources required to offer care and treatment – from doctors to nurses, laboratory employees and pharmacists.
Since 2011, the federal government has spent over 10.5 billion N (over $ 65.8 million) on human resources as a part of its contribution.
Along with the limitation of US funds, the health officials of the Nigerian government said BusinessDay that they were in search of local donors and study methods to fight diseases within the country.
“We are working on taking over the financing of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases related to help. It is quite expensive and we can not afford them all, but we have to save lives, “said the BusinessDay senior clerk.
Supporting us by Pepfar
Meanwhile, Pepfar pumped over $ 6 billion with a national response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The results included the position of over 1,000,000 women and youngsters on HIV treatment.
Advisory and testing services have been offered over 1.2 million pregnant women to stop HIV transferring mother to a toddler.
The program also supports key areas of strengthening healthcare systems, akin to laboratories, pharmaceutical logistics and provide chains, politics and human abilities development.
The culmination of the US and other donors’ support was helped by Nigeria to support people living from HIV from 360,000 in 2010 to over 1 million in 2018. According to USAID, support helped them to have access to anti -network therapy.
If financial support continues to dry, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, two to 4 tens of millions of additional deaths per 12 months and a rise in Pandemic speeches may occur.
Farsting implications are also that many poor individuals who have helped in access to treatment risk losing these methods of treatment.
Read also: US Freeze threatens 90% of the HIV treatment range in Nigeria NACA
They will be forced to cover higher costs from their very own pocket for screening and treatment services, increasing the economic burden on which most Nigerian suffering faces.
Nigeria ranks fourth by way of global HIV load with about 1.9 million people living with a virus, in accordance with the UN program for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2023.
Chinonso Egemba, a medical doctor and Nigeria’s lawyer, said that just about all affected people can develop AIDS – without treatment.
Meanwhile, effective antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus to such an extent that it is now not transmitted, but these drugs are expensive, and a big a part of Nigeria’s supply comes historically from donations, he explained.
“If Nigeria does not occur and do not take control, infections will increase. Currently, it has almost 200,000 infections each year. People will die of AIDS, drugs are not available. “Epemba said.
“Our already burdened healthcare system will be further burdened. The time has come to take our healthcare system seriously. Nigeria cannot still rely on donations for his health care. ”
Temithopy ilori, general director, National AIDS control agency (NACA), within the official response on Thursday, said that the Nigeria government would intensify the national strategies of resource mobilization in the sphere of ownership and sustainable development of HIV response on this country.
She said that the federal government goals to scale back the danger of donor help and policy and transfer politics to HIV response, while ensuring the achievement of the country’s goals and goals within the fight against HIV.
“We encourage the patient community to further access HIV treatment services at the service points of the country and calls for all our state governors, private sector partners, all honorary members of the National Assembly and congregations of assemblies, civil society organization, civil society organization, media and media and All other important stakeholders to continue their involvement and support in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, “said Ilori.
Economic status of patients and HIV
In the assessment of the sustainable development of HIV treatment services and readiness of patients to pay, Olawale Durosinmi-Etti, the primary representative of Nigeria and the pinnacle of the Operation John Snow Inc., the worldwide non-profit organization, stated that the socio-economic status of patients has a key impact on their purchasing power .
Read also: Health care costs pushes Nigerians to poverty
He and co -authors are convinced that almost all people living from HIV receiving free treatment services are able to pay for services in the event that they stop to be free.
“We found that 92 percent of patients were ready to pay for HIV treatment. The average amount of patients was willing to pay, was 3,000 Naira (7.5 USD) per month, and about 18 percent of patients want to pay a current monthly price of 5,000 N (12.50 USD). Availability of financial support from family and friends, lack of employment, monthly income and a change in monthly income were related to ready payment, “they explained.
“Make the funds to reduce the costs of access to HIV and promoting the financial position of people living from HIV to improve readiness to pay for treatment.”
FEC approves 4.5 billion N on health
In response to the freezing of Trump’s financing, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday approved the task of 4.5 billion N to order HIV packages to support Nigerians living from HIV/AIDS.
The approved budget will finance the acquisition of 150,000 treatment packages over the subsequent 4 months, providing immediate relief, while showing Nigeria’s involvement in constructing a more balanced model of national health financing.
During the press briefing on Monday, after the meeting of FEC, Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, he emphasized that this allocation is of key importance to making sure uninterrupted access to the lifetime of the treatment of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.
He also revealed that FEC has established a committee with representatives of the ministries of finance, budget, defense, environment and the forum of Governors of Nigeria (NGF) in an effort to develop a sustainable development plan.
“It is about assuring that the Nigerian does not lose access to treatment during this period,” Pate explained.
As for the last change within the US policy, Pate expressed the appreciation of the American government’s contribution over the past 20 years, but he emphasized that Nigeria is currently specializing in the transformation of its healthcare sector through domestic systems and domestic financing.
