President Buhari Launches N62.1 Billion HIV Trust Fund

President Muhammadu Buhari has established an N62.1 billion fund to strengthen efforts to sustain the country’s HIV response, address killer diseases, and respond to public health emergencies.

The trust fund was unveiled on Tuesday at a ceremony at the State House.

President Buhari, on the other hand, expressed optimism that the private-sector-led initiative will exceed the N62 billion target in the next five years, allowing for adequate treatment for HIV-positive mothers while contributing to closing the HIV funding gap in Nigeria.

The private-sector-led funding for Nigeria’s HIV Trust Fund is expected to solidify a long-term financial mechanism for mobilizing and deploying domestic private-sector resources, particularly those aimed at preventing HIV transmission from mother to child.

According to Ms. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 1.7 million Nigerians are infected with HIV, with 1.6 million receiving treatment.

Byanyima went on to say that there is a pressing need to increase domestic funding because Nigeria has the highest number of HIV infections among children.

She stated that, while the COVID-19 has delayed intervention in the pandemic, ending AIDS is not only a moral but also an economic imperative.

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