United States Consular General, Claire Pierangelo has called for removal of user-fees for people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
According to her, such fees have negative effects and constitute a major barrier to people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
The Consular General also called for elimination of antenatal care charges for pregnant women living with the virus, and other barriers hindering PLHIV from accessing health services.
“The United States remains committed to supporting Nigeria as it works to reduce and ultimately eliminate the scourge of HIV/AIDS among its people,” Consul General Pierangelo said.
She noted the increased funding to make anti-retroviral drugs available so as more people living with HIV to lead healthy, productive lives until the day a cure for the virus is found.
The Consular General made the call during the formal launch of the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) surge program in Enugu state.
The program is a administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
It aims to rapidly identify and provide treatment to approximately 43,000 people living with HIV who have not previously received such treatment, by September 2020.
The program is being implemented in Enugu by PEPFAR’s implementing partner, the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN).
At the event, the Consul General noted the U.S. government’s $75 million budget increase for HIV control activities in Nigeria, with an increased focus on Enugu State for the ART surge activities.
The Consul General noted that the disbursement of the additional PEPFAR HIV funds is contingent upon the Nigerian federal and state governments reducing or eliminating financial barriers to PLHIV access to services, in particular fees charged by healthcare facilities for non-essential services or those already provided by PEPFAR.
The Consular General said the US Government recently announced the support to Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Enugu States for the launch of an ART Surge, a program designed to put an additional 500,000 people living with HIV on treatment.
“The 500,000 people would be in addition to the more than 700,000 people already on treatment as part of the overall PEPFAR intervention”, she said.
Consul General Pierangelo thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for his commitment to work with all stakeholders, as well as his general cooperation with the U.S. government in order to move the State towards achieving control of the HIV epidemic.
According to a U.S.-supported Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, about 1.9 million people are still living with the virus in Nigeria.
These people require appropriate medical treatment to live a normal and healthy life.