NIGERIA: NUTRITION/DRUGS CALL FOR HIV PATIENTS

Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS), Nigeria on Wednesday 17
July 2002 convened the third in its series of Consultative
Roundtables on Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care in
Nigeria, as part of its two-year Advocacy Campaign on
Access to Treatment in Nigeria. Held at the Midway Inn,
Makurdi, Benue State, the meeting attracted 20 key
stakeholders working in the area of care and support in
Benue and Plateau states. Earlier roundtables held at Lagos
and Enugu; the next roundtable will hold in Abuja on July
31 2002.

The Makurdi roundtable aimed at:
- Building broad based awareness among stakeholders on
issue s of access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in Nigeria
- Identifying gaps, strengths and priorities for action and
access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment
- Conducting a needs assessment and developing a database
of care providers, support groups, treatment advocates
working in the area of care and treatment
- Developing a framework of action on access to HIV/AIDS
care and treatment

At the end of the discussions which lasted over five hours,
the participants made the following recommendations:

1.Nutrition for people living with HIV should be
prioritised particularly as high cost and unavailability
limits access to antiretroviral drugs
2.Government should make antiretroviral drugs and the
tests for measuring patient response such as CD4 count free
for people living with HIV
3.Regulatory mechanisms that would harmonise the cost of
antiretroviral drugs being marketed by pharmaceutical
outfits should be put in place by the appropriate
authorities
4.Affordable Voluntary Counselling and Testing services
should be given high priority and provided in centres
across the country
5.There is need to engage in massive awareness creation
as well as address the poverty situation plaguing our local
communities
6.Cultural practices such as wife inheritance which
encourage the spread of HIV infection should be reviewed
7.Medical professionals should provide appropriate
counselling to people living with HIV prior to
administration of antiretroviral drugs to ensure compliance
and adherence
8.Health workers need to abide by the ethics of their
profession and ensure that confidential records of their
clients are kept
9.Government and local communities need to evolve means of
addressing stigma which is a major barrier to accessing
care and treatment for people living with HIV
10.Civil society groups need to advocate and dialogue with
policy makers and the government on possible options for
expanding access to care, support and treatment for people
living with HIV
11.Government needs to make existing structures,
especially primary health care facilities, functional and
responsive to provide care and treatment for people living
with HIV

Drafted on behalf of participants at the roundtable by:

1.Mr. John Igoche, AIDS Action Manager, Otukpo Local
Government, Benue State
2.Mrs. Comfort Adaaku, Benue State Network of People
Living with HIV/AIDS
3.Mrs. Bernie Gager, Integrated Health Programme, Catholic
Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State
4.Mrs. Racheal Ikwue, Society for Women and AIDS in Africa
(Nigerian chapter), Otukpo, Benue State
5.Mr. Joshua Ida Samson, Centre for Development and
Population Activities (CEDPA) Otukpo, Benue State
6.Dr. Tor Iorapuu, Youth Adolescent Reflection and Action
Centre, Jos, Plateau State

Olayide Akanni
Programme Officer
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS)Nigeria
Email: [email protected]
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