The national Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) Program to provide treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) was initiated in 2001.
Recently, a new plan known as the National Strategic Framework 2005-2009 (NSF) was put in place. The purpose of the NSF is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of equitable prevention, treatment care and support services.
So far, the ART program has scaled-up access to approximately 180,000 PLWA in 215 centres nationwide.
This has failed to meet the presidential directive to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) in 2005 to place N250,000 PLWHA on ART by January 2006.
WHY THE INADEQUATE ACCESS TO ART?
- High cost of investigations and associated laboratory work.
- Stock outs, due to poorly coordinated procurement and logistics program.
- Inadequate number of trained health workers in HIV/AIDS treatment and care.
- Inadequate support for a network that can link PLWHA to facility and community based treatment, care and support.
- Inadequate information and awareness about ART and where to get it.
- Few health facilities offer ART.
- HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination
IMPACT OF INADEQUATE ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND CARE ON INDIVIDUALS, HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNITIES:
- Deteriorating health and quality of life.
- Loss of work and income leading to poverty and food insecurity.
- Increased burden on home based care.
- Death of family members especially breadwinners.
- Increasing number of household headed by children or grand parents.
IMPACT OF INADEQUATE ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND CARE ODN THE NATION’S ECONOMY:
- Reduced national workforce (15-49) age group.
- Reduced national gross domestic product (GDP).
- Reduced enrolment in schools and reduced literacy rate.
IMPACT OF INADEQUATE ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND CARE ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM:
- Overstretched healthcare delivery system.
- More health resources diverted to HIV/AIDS due to increasing number of new infections to the detriment of other competing health needs.
- Increase in the number of health workers dying from HIV/AIDS.
RECOMMENDATION:
- Put in place an Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) policy to make ARV drugs, drugs for treatment of opportunistic infectious (OIs), Breast milk Substitute (BMS) and essential laboratory services for HIV/AIDS available, accessible, affordable, sustainable and safe.
- Support increased capacity for healthcare workers in HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support.
- Promote and fund research into Anti-retroviral drugs ((ARVs), BMS and emerging issues in HIV/AIDS.
- Provide enabling environment for the manufacture of ARV’s in Nigeria to increase their availability and conserve foreign exchange.
- Provide legislative support for public-private partnerships to increase coverage and improve access to HIV/AIDS related services thereby reducing the burden on the public.
- Increased support for network of people living with HIV/AIDS and other stakeholders to provide care and support services.
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