There's no cure for HIV/AIDS anywhere in the world - DG NACA
- The director-general of NACA has warned that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS across the world
- Aliyu Gambo said all scientific work in progress cannot assure that there will be a solution to curing HIV/AIDS at least in the next two years
- According to Gambo, being aware of one's HIV status is no longer difficult as Nigerians can now get tested in a matter of a minute by getting a test strip
- NACA DG also presented awards to two journalists for the effort in HIV reportage in Nigeria
The director-general of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Aliyu Gambo, has said that there is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS in the world.
Gambo while speaking at an annual media interactive dinner and award night of the agency in Abuja on Thursday, December 19, said no one on earth can boast of having a cure for HIV/AIDS anywhere in the world.
The event featured an interactive session with journalists in Abuja and an award presentation session where two reporters - Nike Adebowale of Premium Times and Rabi Abdalla of the NTA - were presented with 2019 awards for reporting HIV/AIDS.
Continuing, Gambo said scientific work in progress cannot assure that there will be a solution to curing HIV/AIDS at least in the next two years.
Gambo said: "There is no drug for HIV, no one has come to tell us that in the next one or two years that there is hope for us to have a drug that will cure HIV/AIDS in the world."
Gambo said NACA will the agency will continue to advocate for every Nigerian to get tested either at home or at health centres to know their statuses.
He said the possibility of fighting the disease to finish can only be achieved through a collective effort where everyone ensures they are tested and those who are positive get treated.
Source: UGC
The DG said the effective treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS helps to suppress the viral load of the virus thereby ensuring that there are zero to no new infection of the disease.
He said: "But why are we making noise and saying HIV should be under control in the next couple of years? It is because we want Nigerians to know their status if negative they continue their normal lives and if negative, they get treated."
"That is what brought about the "Undetected equals Untransmittable, U=U Campaign that will make communities involve and take control of HIV/AIDS-related issues," Gambo said.
He said being aware of one's HIV status is no longer difficult as Nigerians can now get tested in a matter of a minute by getting a test strip.
"The 'U=U' campaign is to help people to know about their status thereby suppressing HIV in their family and communities. By personally testing you have helped to control HIV. Just to take a test strip and test yourself in one minute," the DG added.
Calling for continuous support from the media, Gambo said the general public including the market women, the secondary school students, people on the street, the intellectual, women and children because of the efforts of the media in the fight against the disease.
"We want to grow together because you have helped us to reach certain clime and have reached the position of no going back. We need everyone, your services. We commend you all and individuals that have made the difference in creating awareness in this area," Gambo said.
Source: UGC
He added: "You have made a huge difference in making my work and that of my predecessors easy. Imagine, if we have to take it, community by community, household by household, towns and cities, from one place to the others like the politicians how difficult will that be."
"But it was you that have made it easy in spreading the message and we now hear the discussion and hear people saying something because they know something about HIV."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Gambo had said the communities across Nigeria can help end the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
Gambo said in 15 years, Nigeria, through the partnership with communities and global donors, has succeeded in reducing HIV prevalence from 4.4 per cent to 1.4 per cent.
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