By Oluwafunke Ishola

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) says the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over, calling for a sustained global response against the disease.

Its Global Aids Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, Amb. John Nkengasong, said this during a virtual news briefing on Thursday.

The briefing was centered on “The Future Role of The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Africa”.

Nkengasong acknowledged that efforts to control HIV/AIDS had recorded tremendous success with lifesaving impacts across communities.

He, however, cautioned that HIV/AIDS should not be seen or termed a disease of the past.

“It’s a disease of the present. And we should be very careful not to be vulnerable to our success.

“We’ve done tremendous labour in controlling HIV. The fight is not over.

“Just last year alone in Botswana, the country recorded 4,300 new cases of infection, mainly among young people.

“I don’t think in this country we recorded 4,000 cases of mpox or any other emerging disease. So I think HIV is still there.

“HIV is still killing people. We know that on UNAIDS data. Last year alone, there were 650,000 people in the world that died of HIV/AIDS, and 60 per cent of those were in Africa.

“And I don’t know that mpox has killed, over the course of one year, 250,000 people. That would be 60 per cent of the deaths. So HIV is still there,” he said.

Nkengasong, a Virologist noted that HIV was a hidden pandemic that doesn’t disrupt, warning that it spreads silently in communities.

“So, because of that, it’s not so visible. And because of the remarkable success that we’ve achieved over the past two decades, we do not go to the clinics and see the ugly face of HIV all over.

“So, because of that, it’s fair to say that it’s not as visible in the political arena of many countries as it was before.

“And that’s one of the reasons that I’m leading a tour of the continent to meet with the highest leadership of each country to say, look, we’ve made progress, but the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over.

“We need to continue to commit our own resources to the fight as we commit the U.S. resources to it.

“We need to shape our programmes in a way that they can respond to the needs of today and fill the inequity gap that exists in young children, adolescent girls, and young women, and key populations,” he said.

Nkengasong stressed the need to sustain the response against HIV to prevent a resurgence of the disease.

He disclosed that his top priority was to continue to work with the U.S. Congress to get a five-year reauthorisation for the PEPFAR programme.

“I think my top priority is to work with everyone, mainly Congress, to get a clean five-year reauthorisation.

“That way, it can enable us to have a sustained conversation with the partner countries and say, look, let’s approach our journey to 2030 in the spirit of joint responsibility and joint accountability.

“The U.S. government is not transactional in the fight against HIV. We have not. We are committed and proud partners.

“We’ve done that successfully and impactfully for the last 21 years, and we are not going to give up.

“The U.S. has been in the business of foreign assistance since 1961 under President Kennedy, and I don’t think that foreign assistance, including foreign assistance for her programme, is going to be cut up.

“How prepared it looks post-2030 will depend on our success and will depend on several other determinants, which I cannot predict what will happen in 2030 where I’m sitting now,” Nkengasong said.

Highlighting PEPFAR’s success, Nkengasong said PEPFAR’s investments had strengthened the systems that drive effective, efficient, and sustainable health care.

According to him, PEPFAR has assisted in training 340,000 healthcare workers to deliver and improve HIV care and other health services, creating a lasting health system for partner countries to confront other current and future health challenges.

“A lot of the COVID-19 successes that we saw in Africa were the backbone of what PEPFAR has done.

“So, we are very proud partners in strengthening health systems on the continent.

“We would never have achieved the goals of saving 25 million lives, preventing 5.5 million children born free of HIV without a strong system and capacity development on the continent,” he said.

Nkengasong said PEPFAR had invested over $110 billion in Africa in the last 21 years while restating its continued commitment to achieving epidemic control among children, adolescent girls, young women, and men.

He said PEPFAR would enhance political awareness, sustain funding, adapt its programmes and strengthen health systems against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PEPFAR is a U.S. government initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease.

The U.S. government investment through PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history.

The programme has saved over 25 million lives, prevented millions of HIV infections, and accelerated progress toward controlling the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in more than 50 countries.

PEPFAR, first created in 2003 by President George Bush, has been reauthorised three times.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Africa bears the heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS globally.

UNAIDS said that 4000 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV every single week, and 3,100 of those infected are from Africa. (NAN)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Philip Yatai

NewPhase Gospel Club, a humanitarian support group of the NewPhase Full Gospel Church, Mararaba, has offset the medical bills of poor and vulnerable patients receiving treatment at Mararaba Medical Centre.

Pastor Mathew Agada, the Senior Pastor of the church, said after the exercise in Mararaba on Friday, that the support was part of the club’s major project for the year.

Agada, who is also the President of the club, said that N500,000 had been budgeted for the project to take care of basic bills that would have hindered effective medical care.

He explained that the facility was chosen for the support because of the high number of less privileged people seeking medical attention in the hospital but do not have money.

According to him, the goal of the project is to help less privileged people in communities to access healthcare services.

“We are here on one of our major club projects for the year, which is to assist some of the patients on admission but cannot fully afford the cost of their medical care.

“For instance, there are some people on admission with a list of drugs to buy but do not have enough money.

“In fact, we met a patient that is about to leave the hospital against medical advice because he has no money.  We came to see what we can do to help such people.

“Other people that need surgery, but don’t have enough money; we are here to support such people and clear their bill.”

The president added that other patients were supposed to be discharged but they could not clear their bills, “we are here to help them.”

He further said that the support was also extended to children who are on admission and needed blood and IV fluids, but their parents could not afford to pay for them.

“There is also a woman who successfully delivered her baby but has been bleeding; we supported the husband to offset the bills.

“A patient just came in with a severe emergency and didn’t have money. Thank God we have been able to pay for all the drugs needed to sustain his life,” he added.

Describing healthcare as one of the major concerns of most families, Agada assured that “as long as there is life, there is hope.

“Life first, before we talk about food good health first before we talk about clothes, accommodation and other things.

“The health of the poor and vulnerable people is our priority this year and we have chosen to do this out of our love for humanity and the joy in servicing the needs of humanity.

“It is also part of the commandment of our God to help the less privileged.”

Also speaking, the Patron of the club, Dr Noah Ekele, said that the resources for the project was mobilised through freewill donation from members of the club.

Ekele, a medical doctor, added that beside offsetting medical bills of the less privileged, the club also supported orphanages and carried out prison visits to support imamates.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Joseph Agbo, whose wife was rushed to the emergency ward for excessive bleeding due to child delivery, thanked the club for the support.

Agbo, a farmer, explained that his wife was rushed to hospital from a primary healthcare centre where she gave birth.

“She was bleeding badly and at the point of death. She needs emergency attention, but I have exhausted all the money I have.

“I was wondering how I could pay for the blood, laboratory and other bills before the NewPhase Gospel Club came to my rescue.

“I don’t know them from anywhere. They asked about my wife’s case, I explained, and they gave me N45,000.

“I never expected such support,” Agbo said and bursted into tears.

The Head of Nursing Services of the centre, Mrs Veronica Ayeache, also thanked the club for reaching out to the less privileged with the lifesaving support. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Amen Gajira

Rep. Donatus Mathew (LP-Kaduna) has provided free medical services to no fewer than 200 people in his Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.

Inaugurating the exercise in Kagoro, Mathew, who was represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Mr Musa Danjuma, said the exercise was part of his sustained efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of his constituents.

“This gesture is borne out of my commitment to the health and wellbeing of my constituents.

“This is the first phase of our free medical outreach in Kaura and this particular one is targeted at the vulnerable ones amongst us.

“The hardship faced by individuals and families at this point in time calls for interventions such as this,” he added.

The lawmaker noted that the intervention comprised counselling and screening for hepatitis, HIV, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, ulcer and surgical treatment of cataract amongst others.

He explained that the aforementioned ailments were the focus of the outreach because they were the most prevalent in the area.

According to him, those who are found to have any of the ailments will be treated and given medication.

In his remark, Mr Godwin Luka, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), lauded Mathew for the initiative, which he described as timely.

Luka enjoined the people to go for regular medical check up to avoid unforeseen circumstances that might lead to untimely death due to negligence.

Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Mr Peter Katung and Mr Tachio Biya thanked the lawmaker for placing a premium on the health and wellbeing of his constituents.

They prayed to God to grant the lawmaker the enablement to sustain the effort beyond this year. (NAN )

Edited by Muhammad Lawal