Agency needs $280m to counsel and test Nigerians for HIV/AIDS
The National Agency for the Control of
AIDS (NACA), says it requires $280 million to conduct HIV counselling
and testing on 20 million Nigerians by 2012.
The agency’s Director-General John
Idoko, said this on Monday in Abuja at the NACA and Research Alliance
to Combat HIV/AIDS (REACH) symposium, entitled ‘Emerging Strategies to
Combat HIV and AIDS in Nigeria’.
“I therefore call on our development
partners, policy makers, private sectors and all stakeholders in
Nigeria to resolve, support and strive towards achieving an ambitious
target of counselling and testing 20 million Nigerians by the year
2012.
“At the cost of $14 per person tested, Nigeria will therefore need $280 million to make this a reality,” Mr Idoko said.
He urged all Nigerians to know their status, saying that recently
published, 2010 UNGASS report revealed that 11.7 per cent women and men
aged 15-49 went for HIV test in the last 12 months, stating that so
far, 14 per cent of the population had been counselled and tested. Mr
Idoko said that the agency in collaboration with all its partners would
start the promotion of the exercise.
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