Features
2014: Turning Point For HIV/AIDS?
Not many people will dis
agree that no ailment has received as much attention as HIV/AIDS in the whole World. True still, there is yet to be an ailment which had evaded prevention, treatment and cure like HIV.
Since it came to the fore in the early 80s in the United States of America (USA), the best that has been achieved has been tremendous progress in terms of diagnosis, knowledge of the disease, treatment and prevention.
Thus, for over three decades, cure for HIV/AIDS has been elusive. Some of the world’s greatest virologists, are said to have given up hope, at some point, for a permanent cure to the virus.
The world scenario, as revealed by Professor Francoise Barre- Sinoussi, states that about 10 million people are currently on HIV/AIDS treatment in the world.
Painting the reality about HIV, Professor Barre-Sinoussi, a virologist who co-discovered HIV in 1983, noted.
“The virus is attacking our immune system, the cell that are there to respond against a pathogene (HIV or any others) that makes a challenge, because the virus is altering the function of our cells very, very quickly.
“More quickly than an immuno response generally can be obtained. So, this is a critical challenge.”
According to the current United Nations report on global HIV/AIDS status, people newly infected with HIV/AIDS declined by 19 per cent ten years before December 2009, with at least 33 countries experiencing a decline in HIV incidence of at least 25 per cent, and that 10 high-prevalence countries achieved the global goal of reducing HIV prevalence among young people at least by 25 per cent.
In spite of these relative successes, the report noted that the HIV epidemic has continued to outpace the response, thus under scoring the need to revolutionise efforts to prevent new infections.
The report also states that as at December 2010, more than six million people were estimated to be receiving anti-retroviral therapy in low and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. Yet the majority of people in need still lack access to the drugs due to peculiar problems relating to countries and environment.
It further noted that about three in 10 countries globally still lack laws prohibiting HIV related discrimination. Meanwhile, more than half of the countries with such laws or policy indirectly or inadvertently reduce services access for vulnerable populations. Thus, many of the countries with anti-discrimination laws do not rigorously enforce them.
A clear global HIV statistics, according to the report, reveals that: more than 35 million people now live with HIV/AIDS; 3.3 million of them are under 15 years.
In 2012, an estimated 2.3 million people where newly infected with HIV/AIDS, and 260,000 were under 15 years.
It also revealed that 6,300 people contract HIV daily (nearly 262 every hour), in 2012, 1.6 million people died from AIDS, 210,000 of them were under 15 years, and since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 75 million people have contracted HIV, while about 36 million have died of HIV – related causes.
According to UN report, 25 million people living with HIV (constituting about 70 pr cent of the global figure) live in sub-Saharan Africa. This number include 88 per cent of the world’s HIV positive children.
In 2012, an estimated 1.6 million people in sub-saharan Africa were newly infected, while 1.2 million adults and children were also estimated to have died of AIDS. The number accounts for 75 per cent of the World AIDS in 2012.
Nigeria, one of the sub-Saharan Africa countries, has been noted to have a high HIV prevalence among adults between the ages of 15-49, which was rated about 3.1 per cent in 2012, making Nigeria the second largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The HIV epidemic in Nigeria varies according to region. It is more concentrated in some regions and driven by high risk behaviours.
Prior to 2013, Nigeria’s HIV prevalence was 4.2 per cent. But after series of intervention measures, the country’s prevalence, according to the report of the National Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS) plus, in 2013 reduced to 3.4 per cent.
The report showed that of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers State has the highest prevalence of 15.2 per cent which was higher than the national prevalence.
Of all levels of HIV prevalence in Nigeria, however, the most alarming is amongst children, according to the latest UN report.
Titled “2013 Progress Report on the Global Plan: Towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive”, the report shows that the prevalence of HIV among Nigerian children has been relatively stagnant with no significant improvement. In 2012, total number of children infected in Nigeria, according to the report, stood at about 60,000, a number that has remained largely unchanged since 2009.
“Nigeria accounts for one third of all new HIV infections among children in the 21 priority countries in sub-Saharan African, the largest of any country. Progress here is therefore critical to eliminating new HIV infections among children globally.
“Nearly all indicators access show stagnation and suggest that Nigeria is facing significant hurdles,” the report stated. Part of these hurdles, according to the Executive Director, Centre for Women’s Health and Adolescents’ Development in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Ms Helen Odega, is largely due to the fact that the authorities in the health sector have been lagging in the implementation of the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV policy.
“Sincerely speaking, I think PMTCT implementation is really zero, and the country is not taking responsibility and ownership. We have policies which are not being implemented and the problem lies with the government, which ought to channel the resources, claim ownership and do the right things.
A presentation made at a two-day National Anti-retroviral and Co-trimoxazole Quantification Assumptions workshop by senior programme specialist, Centre for Disease Control (CDC), on the strategic use of ART, Dr Ogbanife Obinna, noted that over 270,000 new HIV infections occur annually in Nigeria, of this number , only about 56,000 new HIV clients are put on ART in same period with a ratio of approximately 1.5.
Comparatively, South Africa recorded about 350,000 new HIV infections annually, and put about 227,000 positive persons on treatment annually. This is an indication that Nigeria is doing poorly for a country with high HIV burden.
Meanwhile some African Countries, such as Botswana, Cambodia and Malaysia are now ahead of their HIV epidemic because the number of people put on treatment annually surpasses the rate of new infections recorded.
In the light of the fore-going development in HIV/AIDS, the immediate question that easily comes to mind is, where have we gone wrong in the search for HIV prevention, treatment, care / support for people living positively, and cure for the pandemic?
Generally, there are so much amiss: one key area in which the fight against HIV has faced the greatest challenge is in the institution and implementation of relevant laws to protect the rights of PLW HIV.
As noted earlier, only relatively few countries have instituted laws that both protect PLW HIV and punishes offenders. Worst still, most of these few countries are yet to fully implement such instituted laws, which would have served effectively as a spring board towards the implementation of efforts aimed at checking the spread of HIV.
The same incapacitation is noticeable in the health systems of most countries with high HIV prevalence.
The organisation of health service in Nigeria, for instance, is complex. It includes a wide range of providers in both the public and private sectors.
In the public sectors, Nigeria operates a decentralised health system run by the Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministries of Health and Local Government Health Department (LGHDs). The FMOH is the overall health policy formulating body. It coordinates and supervises the activities of the other levels. It also provides tertiary care through teaching hospital and federal medical centres. The State Ministeries of Health provide secondary health care through the state hospitals and comprehensive health centres, while the LGHDs provide primary health care service through the primary health centres.
On paper, this decentralisation of the health care delivery system in Nigeria seem effective. However, in practice it is hardly so. This is because health service delivery is mostly concentrated in the urban areas. The rural (precisely hard-to-reach), areas are in most cases excluded from key health commodities.
Consequently, rural dwellers often find it difficult to access health care in the urban areas as a result of the distance. This has financial consideration on the part of the rural dwellers, who due to financial incapacitation could remain in the rural area till death comes knocking.
In spite of the numerous global collaborative efforts ultimately aimed at getting a cure for HIV/AIDS, it has remained elusive. This has constituted a major challenge to scientists all over the world, particularly, virologists involved in HIV/ AIDS.
It has also become a challenge to other key stakeholders, and the entire world as a community to step up their collaboration in the quest for a cure. Such key stakeholders include scientists involved in HIV, clinicians, media and governments.
On the part of the scientists, over three decades after the first case of HIV was detected, the best they had achieved that is closest to a cure is the case of Timothy Brown, the first man cured of HIV through a bone marrow transplant and that of the mississi ppi baby, who was treated with anti-retroviral drugs for HIV immediately after birth. Two years since being taken off therapy at 18 months, the baby has remained free of HIV.
As late as this may seem to have come, it has been a long but fruitful journey. But the journey may still remain long until a permanent cure is found and made easily accessible. Clinicians, particularly in the developing countries, would need to create a much more conducive, less discriminatory and trust worthy relationship with PLW HIV. This will greatly encourage infected / affected persons to come out from their hideout to access care and support.
Health care providers in Nigeria need to ensure, for instance, that one way to check MTCT is to strengthen follow-up mechanism to track HIV positive pregnant women who go for traditional birth attendants (TBAs). This will encourage them to return to the hospital to give birth, not just attend anti-natal sessions alone.
Government at various levels also need to go beyond HIV financing to instituting necessary discrimination laws and policies and implementing same.
All of these efforts may come to naught without effective collaboration with the media, which is vested with the responsibility of creating awareness.
Without relevant and continuous awareness, the populace will be left behind on developments about HIV/AIDS. If these and other key stakehdolers involved in HIV response could play their roles effectively in their peculiar environments across the globe, the hitherto long journey so far in the fight against HIV/AIDS may have been shortened. As the world assembly in Melbourne, Austrialia for AIDs 2014, therefore, expectations are rife that given what have been achieved so far, the 20th International AIDS Conference will pave the path towards an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Sogbeba Dokubo
LAS President, Professor Francoise Barre-Sinoussi
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku