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From Scholastica Hir Makurdi
A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), said they have provided in-care HIV/AIDS services support to over 2 million persons living with HIV globally.
Nigeria’s Country Director, Dr Echey Ijezie, disclosed this in Abuja while celebrating the milestone the organization has recorded in 47 countries within it’s over 20 years of operation.
“We are immensely proud to reach this historic milestone when the global programs launched 20 years ago in South Africa and Uganda with 100 patients in each.
“We never imagined we will be serving 2 million lives under our care around the world.”
Ijezie recalled that at the time AHF started, it cost $5,000 per patient annually for ARVs say “Today, more than half of AHF’s 2 million lives receiving care are in Africa.
“The combination of medicine and advocacy implementing prevention, care, and treatment programs and the support of government and other international donors have allowed us to reach this momentous achievement collectively.
“In Nigeria, we started with a zero patient base in 2011, but today, we have 29, 000 in care under the Nigeria program, many of them in very remote locations in Abuja, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Kogi and Nasarawa states,” he said.
He added that AHF has continued to leverage innovative healthcare delivery models to expand its reach and impact, especially in communities by providing comprehensive medical care, treatment, testing, prevention, and support services.
Ijezie reiterated the commitment of AHF to advocating for access to HIV treatment and care for everyone who needs it by supporting the government in HIV/AIDS intervention and response.
The Director Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, commended AHF and reiterated government commitment’s towards improving health outcome and unlocking the health sector value chain.
“We are excited to be working with AHF, one thing stands out their robustness in getting to the hard to reach areas to support those living with the virus,” saying their intervention has brought succour and hope for not just the people living with the virus but other people as well.
Also speaking, National Coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said the over 2 million persons in care treatment shows AHF’s commitment in ending the virus globally.
He said “Putting 2 million lives on treatment shows that we are moving towards ending AIDS in Nigeria and globally.
“By this it shows that AIDS is no longer a public threat as people are living and accessing treatment and living a healthy life.”
Also the Technical Officer, HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STI, WHO-Nigeria, Oluwafunke Odunkade, stressed the need to continue to ensure that all the people brought into the care have optimum access to healthcare services.
“While we celebrate, we must be reminded that this is not the end. We still have the last hurdle to cross, and we can only achieve that by collaboratively rethinking our strategies.
“We are ensuring that HIV is fully mainstreamed into the health systems and not standing alone and also ensuring that all the people that we brought into care have the optimum level of care.”
