By YANGE IKYAA
On January 28, 2023, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) marked its 20th anniversary.
PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history and represents the best of American values.
Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested over $100 billion in the global fight against HIV/AIDS and supports more than 20.1 million people on HIV treatment in over 50 countries globally.
“Our two decades of investments have changed the course of the HIV pandemic by controlling it without a vaccine or a cure. Through PEPFAR, we have laid the groundwork for the eventual eradication of HIV,” a statement issued by the US Mission to Nigeria at the weekend read in part.
In Nigeria, PEPFAR has disbursed over $7.8 billion to ensure that all Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS have comprehensive access to quality HIV prevention, care, and treatment services.
This investment translates to providing over 1.9 million Nigerians with access to antiretroviral treatment (ART).
Today, Nigeria is on the cusp of HIV epidemic control and is approaching the global “95-95-95” goals defined as: 95% of people with HIV know their HIV status, while 95% of those with diagnosed HIV infection are accessing treatment, and 95% of those receiving treatment have achieved an undetectable viral load.
The US says that its commitment to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is an ambitious but achievable goal.
As President Biden declared on World AIDS Day 2022: “We finally have the scientific understanding, treatments, and tools to build an AIDS-free future where everyone – no matter who they are, where they come from, or whom they love – can get the care and respect they deserve.”
