CiSHAN warns against donor-dependence in combating HIV/AIDS

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, yesterday, the South West Zonal coordinator of Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), Aladeyelu Azeez Adebayo, urged government to end inequalities that drive the disease and other pandemics.

Speaking in Lagos, Adebayo said the focus of this year’s Day is reaching people untouched by essential HIV services.

He said if Nigeria fails to take action against inequalities, the nation risks missing the target to end AIDS by 2030, as well as prolonging the COVID-19 pandemic with attendant socio-economic crisis.

He regretted that 40 years after the first AIDS case was reported, Nigeria is yet to overcome the scourge. He noted that the world is off track in delivering on shared commitment to end AIDS by 2030, not because of a lack of knowledge or tools to win the fight but because of structural inequalities that obstruct proven solutions to prevention and treatment.

He said: “Tackling inequalities is a long-standing global promise, the urgency of which has only increased. In 2015, all countries pledged to reduce inequalities within and between countries as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026, End Inequalities, End AIDS and the Political Declaration on AIDS adopted at the 2021 United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS have ending inequalities as their core target.

“Tackling inequalities will advance the human rights of key populations and people, who are living with HIV, make societies better prepared to beat COVID-19 and other pandemics and support economic recovery and stability.”