The efforts of government and partners, such as the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, has seen a reduction in the incidences of HIV/AIDS from 3.4 to 1.4 percent in the last five years in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers states
This is contained in the 2018 National AIDS and HIV Indicator and Impact Survey report o0f the U.S government.
According to Ms. Olivette Smith, political and economic analyst at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, the United States will, through USAID, continue to work with local partners and support the efforts of the Nigerian government to ensure that all children lived a healthy and productive life.
She said over the last five years, USAID has partnered with the government of Nigeria to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS among some of the most vulnerable Nigerians through support for more than 300,000 orphans and vulnerable children in three southern states.
”Since 2014, the Local Partners for Orphans and Vulnerable Children activity, known as LOPIN 1, reached over 260,000 children and more than 50,000 caregivers, providing integrated services in the areas of health, education, nutrition, psychosocial support, protection, shelter and household economic strengthening in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Rivers states. Similar activities are ongoing in other regions of Nigeria.
“In a country like Nigeria, young people are the future and by helping this vulnerable cohort of the country’s youth population get access to health care and education and boost its economic resilience, the U.S. government through USAID is helping Nigeria meeting its commitment to ensuring the next generation is ready,” Smith said.
She said the activity of USAID shifted away from the usual approach to supporting these populations by implementing a more inclusive and sustainable family and community-centered strategy in line with Nigeria’s National Priority Agenda.
Smith added: “As a result, more children have now been linked to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, helping move Nigeria closer to the United Nations’ goals for HIV/AIDS control.”
Through a large network of indigenous non-governmental organizations, led by the Association for Reproductive Health (AFRH), LOPIN 1 helped build the capacity of those NGOs to better address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children.
It also worked to strengthen local health systems in its areas of operation and engaged the private sector to enhance sustainability and access, introducing innovations such as conditional cash transfers, household economic strengthening, community-based health insurance, and village-level savings and loan programmes.
