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The Federal
Government has concluded efforts to ensure that HIV/AIDS has its own
budget provision in all the ministries, to further enhance its position
in the fight against AIDS, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday
in Abuja, on the occasion of the 2010 World Aids Day.

He also explained
the urgent need to scale up significantly towards the goal of universal
access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care, and
support by 2015.

“The federal
government is making every effort to ensure that HIV/AIDS has its own
budget provision in all the ministries and that adequate budget
provision is made for National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) to
further enhance its position in the fight against AIDS,” he said.

President Jonathan,
who was represented by the minister of health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said
statistics have shown that only 14 percent of Nigerians have ever been
tested for HIV/AIDS, and that everybody needs to know his/her own HIV
status and take appropriate decision based on it, to cherish and guard
a negative result or to take steps to live positively with the virus.

“The sad thing,
however, are that many people still go about in ignorance, without the
benefit of knowing their status. I would like to seize this opportunity
to encourage every Nigerian, young and old, who has not yet known his
or her status, to heed the call to go for HIV counselling and testing,
to determine his or her status,” he said.

He said that in
order to stem the tendency to stigmatise and discriminate against one,
a bill on stigma and discrimination has passed through the House of
Representatives and is currently with the Senate.

Bill against discrimination

He expressed
confidence that the bill will be passed by the National Assembly, “and
l assure you l will sign it into law as soon as it reaches my office.”

The director
general of NACA, John Idoko, said there is increased funding for HIV,
with round 9 GF HIV grant recently signed worth $320 million for five
years, and an additional $3 million for quick wins PMTCT.

“World bank credit
of N225 million dollars for four years recently approved by the
government of Nigeria, and the USG and GON partnership framework for
2010-2015, also recently signed by the SGF, on behalf of the FGN,” said
Mr. Idoko.

He said that the
common goal of the agency is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV by
2015 and in so doing, also contribute to the developmental goals of the
nation, including vision 20/20/20.

Mr. Idoko said that
the HIV situation in Nigeria is already improving, as a result of the
progress already made, as recorded in the United Nations General
Assembly special session country report.