Breaking: Dangote, Lai Mohammed, SGF Mustapha, Others Join Buhari to Launch N62.1B Trust Fund for Nigerians

Abuja- On Tuesday, February 1, key government officials, stakeholders and ministers joined President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa to launch the new HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria.

Speaking at the event attended by Legit.ng's correspondent, Buhari said ending HIV/AIDS is a family health right and the government will continue to ensure the spread of the disease is curbed.

Buhari also said with the available national assets, the Nigerian government has continued to meet its expectation of placing more people on treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Commending NACA and the (NiBUCAA), Buhari said the HTFN will secure the future of several generations to come.

Buhari said:

"Going forward, I hope the HTFN will galvanise partners towards the goal of eliminating HIV transmission in the next five years."

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The Fund

The trust fund is championed by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other key stakeholders in the fight against the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Themed, A Nigeria Without Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV is Possible When We All Play Our Part, the fund is a sustainable financing mechanism for the mobilization and deployment of domestic HIV from a mother living with HIV to her child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding.

Its benefits

Recommended by NACA and driven by the Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA), HTFN is expected to improve efforts towards ensuring the coverage of high-IMPACT HIV that will provide the requisite treatment for HIV positive mothers.

The HTFN will contribute to closing the funding gap for HIV in Nigeria that currently stands at about U$108 million per annum.

Ratings by NACA

According to NACA, Nigeria has the highest number of HIV new infections among children globally.

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Today, one out of every seven children born in the world is born in Nigeria.

NACA said that in the absence of intervention, the rate of transmission of HIV from a mother living with HIV to her child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding ranges from 15% to 45%.

However, with the right treatment, this risk reduces to less than 1%.

Boss Mustapha's address

In his address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said today marks a key step towards ensuring that no Nigerian child is born with HIV or contracts the disease all through his life.

Mustapha said the HTFN also signifies the commitment of President Buhari's administration to ensure that no one dies from HIV infection.

Mustapha said:

"Today's launch of the fund will guarantee funding from the private sector for the elimination of Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV."

He also said that the establishment of the Coalition Against COVID-19, a private-sector task force in partnership with the federal government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) among others has demonstrated private sectors committed to the control, prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

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He added the CACOVID accounts for how the world has acknowledged Nigeria's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and that can be replicated in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Mustapha said:

"Private Public Partnership works and we can do it with fighting HIV/AIDS."

Board members of HTFN

Members of the HTFN board of trustees include the chief executive officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe; the president Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; the managing director of Total Energies, Mike Sangster and the MD Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor.

Others are the MD Julius Berger, Lar Richter; the DG of NACA, Gambo Aliyu; the past DG of NACA, Sani Aliyu and Jekwu Ozoemene who serves as the MD of the HTFN.

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Source: Legit.ng