42,700 AIDS-related deaths recorded in Nigeria annually, says NEPWHAN
No fewer than 42,700 AIDS-related deaths and 1.1 million AIDS orphans are recorded annually, the Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has said.
According to NEPWHAN National Secretary, Nicholas Ugbenyen who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during a candlelight event held in Abuja to commemorate lives lost to AIDS and recognise efforts in combating the epidemic, out of the 42,700 deaths, 14,400 were children and 14,500 were women.
He also stressed the urgency of prioritising pediatric HIV prevention and treatment to end AIDS in Nigeria by 2030 while urging stakeholders to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches in paediatric care to strengthen the country’s HIV response.
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Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), called for an end to stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, emphasizing its role in improving access to care.
She encouraged individuals living with HIV/AIDS to overcome self-stigmatisation, adhere to their medications, and access healthcare to ensure viral suppression.
Source: Daily Trust
