US invests $85tr globally in fight against HIV/AIDS in 18 years

United States (US) Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, yesterday, revealed that US government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has invested more than $85tr in its fight against HIV/AIDS globally.

Speaking at the launch of the Anti-Retroviral Therapy Surge Response, in Jos, she explained that in Nigeria alone, PEPFAR has invested more than $6b in national HIV/AIDS response.
   
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, appreciated the US government for all it has done as regards HIV/AIDS, urging it to continue supporting the funding of public health programmes.
   
Lalong, represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, also urged the United States to support humanitarian infrastructure development in agriculture sector.
   

APIN Public Health Initiatives’ Communications and Media Specialist, Emerald Awa – Agwu, said
APIN Public Health Initiatives has been implementing HIV projects in Plateau since 2000 and is currently implementing the president’s emergency plan for AIDS Relief (PEDFAR) programme, funded by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 15 of the 17 local councils in the state.
  
Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nimkong Lar, said only about 36.3 per cent of children living with HIV currently have access to life-saving medications, leaving a significant treatment burden of 63.7 per cent. 
  
Lar added that the pediatric population, which contines to bear the brunt of HIV and AIDS pandemic have an estimated 150, 000 children aged 10-14 years living with the disease and a reported 22, 000 new infections.