Preventing The Scourge Of HIV/AIDS In Nigeria

By

Dr. Idris Suleman Hadejia (FWACP)

Department of Community Medicine,

Ahmadu Bello University, Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria

 

idrissuleman2003@yahoo.com

 

 

None of the problem holding man in the 20th and 21st centuries – wars, famine or crime is threatening to mankind as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The disease was concurrently discovered by Robert Gallo of U.S.A and Lue Montgnier of France in 1981. Its causative agent is called HIV, which stands for Human Immuno Deficiency Virus. Therefore, the alarming rate of spread of AIDS, and the fact that people carry the virus without even knowing it, coupled with the absence of cure compound the dread and devastation of AIDS.

 

The few drugs available are palliative out of reach of many Africans. The search for vaccines is being pursued in many countries and some vaccines are already on trials despite the enormous antigenic variability among different strains of the virus and the ethical issues involved. The claim by Dr. J. Abalaka and co. still remains to be substantiated.

 

 

Causes of the disease are:

 

  • Unprotected sexual intercourse, which could be heterosexual or homosexual.

  • Transfusion of infected blood

  • Contacts with infected blood and other body fluids like semen

  • Mother to child transmission etc.

 

Some of the challenges associated with this disease are the following:

  1. The prevalence is on the rise from single case diagnosed in 1986 in Nigerian adolescent girl to a figure of 3.8 million by 2005. Now in every 20 Nigerians 1 is HIV positive. (See The DFID publication, 3rd Quarter, 2005).

  2. There is no vaccine or cure for the disease.

  3. Collapsing medical service and infrastructure.

  4. Pervading poverty, ignorance, hunger and decay in morality and little or no concern for other people's predicament

  5. High cost and unavailability of drugs(antiretro viral drugs) to use as a palliative measure.

  6. Resistance to change our attitude, practice and behaviour towards the disease.

  7. Population explosion.

 

Perhaps the 21st century and its attendant breakthroughs especially in the aspect of medicine may gladden the heart of the millions with the millennium gift – a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Wonders shall never end! And for every ailment there is always a cure.

 

 

 

How to prevent further spread:

  1. Value for life; the responsibility of halting the geometrical spread of the HIV scourge rests entirely on us the human species. If only we will agree to value our lives better and be less promiscuous, we would certainly stand a better chance of avoiding the virus. It is sad to state that conduct of most of us in this respect is not totally not encouraging. To attain this, we have modify our behavior, learn and adapt safer sex approaches and through education. In addition, we should be faithful to our partners and where possible abstinence is the surest way to prevention.

  2. Having the courage, guts and audacity to vary old norms, culture and value – Twenty years ago and even now, in many cultured societies worldwide, particularly Nigeria, it is a taboo to imagine a man suggesting to his wife to be to undergo a HIV screening before marriage or the woman asking the man for same

  3. Continuous creation of awareness and community mobilization aimed at imparting knowledge and behaviour change or modification.

  4. Subsidy on ARV(antiretroviral) drugs as well as looking inwards into local production as exemplified by some developing countries like South Africa and India.

  5. Poverty alleviation

  6. Health sector reform

  7. Institutionalization of hospital home based and community care for those already infected.

 

Finally, the epidemic of HIV is increasing in both space and time and may continue spreading geometrically if no quick measure is taken. We are today 5 years into the new millennium but the rate at which the disease is claiming more lives is quite astounding. I will in my subsequent write ups try to bring the statistics of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria by states. As we do that we should intensify effort to combat HIV/AIDS and the time to act is now or never!