We identified 350,000 HIV patients during pandemic in Nigeria

No fewer than 350,000 people living with HIV were identified during the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Gambo Gumel Aliyu, said on Tuesday.

According to him, Nigeria’s HIV response during the pandemic is rated as one of the best in the world.

He explained that the country was able to develop a survival strategy that enables it to cope with the pandemic and HIV management simultaneously.

Aliyu said, “COVID-19 affected HIV response very minimally in the beginning. However, after the first and second months, HIV response came back to life. This is one thing that Nigeria did well that so many countries didn’t.

“Eventually, we realised that we are dealing with two epidemics, we created a survival strategy and ensure that there is no setback.

“On an annual basis, we identify and bring to treatment about 50,000 individuals, but during the COVID-19 period – the last 18 months, we are able to bring to treatment 350,000 people who have not been identified in the past. We identified 350,000 people during the pandemic and they got HIV treatments.

“This is something that no other country has done that except Nigeria.”