The Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji has commended the Federal Government for releasing four Million Dollars counterpart fund (which is about N1.6 million) for the purchase of Family Planning (FP) commodities in the Nigeria.

He, however, noted that, the amount was inadequate, compared with the N26 Million projected amount required for the country’s family planning commodity purchase annually.

Orji , therefore called on State governments to key into the Federal Government’s Family Planning concept and develop cost implementation plan for their states.

The Chairman also commended the Federal Government’s readiness to project family planning by establishing a demographic dividend office, headed by the Vice President, saying “that shows commitment to the  purpose.

He added that, President Muhammadu  Buhari has directed the 42 regular course of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, to focus on the issue of population growth challenges and human capital development.

His words; “The Federal Government had developed a National Population Policy in 2014, and is currently being reviewed.

“The  government also developed the Family Planning Blueprint, all geared toward increased uptake of FP and making it a norm so that families can have the number of children they can take care of”, he stated.

Orji, also stressed the importance of family planning toward increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national development, emphasised the relationship between family planning and poverty, saying “the absence of one can cause the other.”

He also stressed the need for Nigeria to take over the whole funding of the country’s family planning needs, adding that population had become a strategic security issue globally.

“I will like to see Nigeria take over family planning funding because population has become a strategic security issue globally now,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Orji hinted that the AAFP and partners is scheduled for 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2020 for Dec. 7 to Dec. 11 in Abuja, where it hoped to bring together youths, religious and traditional leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders to brainstorm on changing the landscape of FP in Nigeria.

The theme of the conference is “Post 2020 Agenda and Safeguarding Investment in Emergencies, Adaption, Innovation, Resilience” to be held both physically/virtually.

Topics to be discussed include demography, myths around family planning, increase in advocacy and innovation, with focus on not allowing COVID-19 to stop family planning gains, among others

UNICEF  in a report released today has revealed that about 2.8 million, children were living with HIV globally.

However, in Nigeria, about 22,000 new infections occurred in children aged 0-14 years in 2019. While adding that, nearly 110,000 children died of AIDS that year. In Nigeria 13,000 children aged 0-14 years died of AIDS-related causes in 2019.

The report hinted that ,  approximately every minute and 40 seconds, a child or young person under the age of 20 was newly infected with HIV last year, bringing the total number of 2.8 million.

The UNICEF report warns that children are being left behind in the fight against HIV.

The reported added that,  “Prevention efforts and treatment for children remain some of the lowest amongst key affected populations. In 2019, a little more than half of children worldwide had access to life-saving treatment, significantly lagging behind coverage for both mothers (85 per cent) and all adults living with HIV (62 per cent). Nearly 110,000 children died of AIDS that year. In Nigeria 13,000 children aged 0-14 years died of AIDS-related causes in 2019.

“Despite some progress in the decades-long fight against HIV and AIDS, deep regional disparities persist among all populations, especially for children, the report says. Pediatric coverage of antiretroviral treatment is highest in the Middle East and North Africa, at 81 per cent, and lowest in West and Central Africa (32 per cent). In Nigeria, it is 36 per cent.”

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative , stated that,  “The world is still struggling with the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, but there is now hope for a vaccine. But we must remember that there is no vaccine for HIV .
“Hundreds of thousands of children continue to suffer the impacts of the HIV epidemic. Children are still getting infected at alarming rates, and they are still dying from AIDS. Even with improvements in recent years, HIV treatment access for children and adolescents is unacceptably low, and much more needs to be done to ensure children get the treatment they need and deserve.”
COVID-19 has interrupted vital HIV treatment and prevention services globally, putting countless more lives at risk.
The COVID-19 crisis has also further exacerbated inequities in access to life-saving HIV services for children, adolescents and pregnant mothers everywhere.
Almost 9 out of 10 children and adolescents of the estimated 2.8 million children aged 0–19 living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.
In a recent UNICEF survey of 29 HIV priority countries, one third responded that service coverage for children, adolescents and women living with and vulnerable to HIV is lower by 10 per cent or more, compared with pre-pandemic numbers.
UNAIDS’ HIV service disruption data, cited in the report, further illustrate the impact of necessary control measures, supply chain disruptions, lack of personal protective equipment, and the redeployment of healthcare workers on HIV services.
In the months of April and May, coinciding with partial and full lockdowns, pediatric HIV treatment and viral load testing in children in some countries declined between 50 to 70 per cent, and new treatment initiation fell by 25 to 50 per cent.

Similarly, health facility deliveries and maternal treatment were also reported to have reduced by 20 to 60 per cent, maternal HIV testing and ART initiation declined by 25 to 50 per cent, and infant testing services declined by approximately 10 per cent.

Though the easing of control measures and the strategic targeting of children and pregnant mothers have successfully led to a rebound of services in recent months, challenges remain, and the world is still far from achieving the global 2020 pediatric HIV targets.

Dr Talemoh Dah, Senior Technical Adviser, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON-PAS) has identified funding and policy as major factors affecting Family Planning (FP) services in the Nigeria.

While adding that; “there is the need to also pursue a multichannel engagement with key government stakeholders, especially the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and Federal Ministry of Finance as well as all levels of government to prioritise FP issues.

He made this known during his presentation on “Family Planning Financing”, at a media round table on the Proposed 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference scheduled to hold on the 7th to 11th of December, 2020 in Abuja.

Dah also challenged the media to ensure that funds allocated to family planning services were released and programmes fully implemented.

Saying; “All partners involved should share comparative advantages and strong relationships to advocacy.”

The SOGON technical adviser noted that the Federal Government updated its commitment at the FP Summit in London on July 11, 2017 with the target of reaching 27 per cent maternal Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR).

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Health with the approval from the Federal Executive Council renewed the MoU with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to ensure provision of four Million U.S. Dollars annually from 2017 to 2020 for procurement of contraceptives for the public sector.

The commitment, he said is an increase from the three million dollars committed from 2011 to 2014.

He further stated that; “With the MoU, Nigeria was expected to contribute N1.2 billion annually to the basket fund over a period of four years from 2017 to 2020.

“However, as at November, there is a gap of N900 million not released in 2019 and the N1.2 billion also not released this year,” he added.

Dah, therefore, noted that the forthcoming biennial FP conference would provide the avenue for stakeholders to brainstorm, debate and exchange ideas, share experiences on the progress made so far.

He said the stakeholders would also identify emerging issues on FP/reproductive health, and chart the way forward toward improving the existing situation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti  has hinted that, globally, there are 38 million people living with HIV and 67% of them are living in the African Region.

While adding that, in 2019, more than 1 million people in the Region were newly infected with HIV, accounting for 60% of the global total, and sadly, 440,000 people in the Region died from HIV-related causes.

She gave this hint in her message to commemorate the 2020 World AIDS Day that is celebrated every 1st of December where the global community comes together to mark World AIDS Day to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS. 

The theme of this World AIDS Day is “Global Solidarity and Shared Responsibility” because in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic we are seeing how important it is for the world to come together, with determined leadership from governments and communities to sustain and expand access to essential services, including HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

Moeti added that, “the pandemic is making it even more challenging for countries to provide these services, particularly in areas affected by conflict, disasters, outbreaks and rapid population growth. This is on top of the fact that in the African Region new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are not reducing fast enough to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending AIDS epidemics by 2030. Children living with HIV are not being adequately identified for HIV treatment. Girls and women aged 15–24 years account for 37% of all new HIV infections, and stigma and discrimination especially against key populations continues to create barriers to service access. 

“Despite these challenges, significant progress is happening in African countries. 2020 is a milestone year towards ending AIDS epidemics and 81% of people living with HIV know their status. Among them, 70% of adults and 53% of children are receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). Eighty-five percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV are on ART, which protects their health and prevents HIV transmission to their newborn infants”, she said.  

The WHO regional Director, however, commend the government’s, partners and communities who have contributed to the progress on HIV in the Region, and come up with innovative ways to keep services going during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Saying, for example, young people living with HIV in Zambia are advocating for the elimination of stigma, adherence to HIV treatment, access to sexual and reproductive health services, and mental health support. They are also contributing to the national COVID-19 response by creating and disseminating health messages, busting myths, and raising awareness. 

Her words; “In Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal, women living with HIV are serving as community pharmacists, visiting hard to reach semi-urban and rural areas to facilitate the home delivery of HIV treatment and medicines for other diseases. They are helping to ensure that no one is left behind during the COVID-19 crisis.”

To sustain and accelerate the gains made, she urgeo governments and partners to come together, with the same level of urgency and leadership demonstrated in response to COVID-19, to increase domestic funding and strengthen health systems.

 
Adding that, there must be global solidarity and shared responsibility among all stakeholders to ensure integrated, people-centred, quality care and an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities for HIV services. 

The rights of women and girls, and gender equality, must be at the centre to stop new HIV infections among girls and young women. 

She also urged communities, especially people living with HIV, to be proactive in your self-care and in understanding how to prevent the spread of infections.

Saying, in this World AIDS Day let us all demand global solidarity and shared responsibility to maintain HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as we strive to achieve the 2030 targets.