PEPFAR PRESS CLIPS

Beware! That cough might signify HIV
Daily Sun, Nigeria – May 27, 2008
Dr Suleiman Akanmu, Consultant haematologist and co-ordinator, HIV/AIDS Treatment Programme at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, stated that experts widely believed that majority of people today who present with symptoms of tuberculosis, have HIV infection as the underlying or pre-disposing factor or the cause of manifestation of tuberculosis…."In this hospital today, there is a check clinic in the department of medicine, where we refer patients who have tuberculosis primarily. In a tertiary hospital like this, we get patient referred to us, and patients that are referred to the chest clinic here, are patients that have real complications of tuberculosis. Not people who are just presenting for the first time…."This DOT centre was donated by Harvard PEPFAR programme, and they have also agreed to equip it and put it to function. In fact, they are also developing a special laboratory for proper diagnosis of TB. The plan is at an advanced stage and very soon we will kick off. In fact, why Harvard PEPFAR programme is actually donating that place so that those people who will have tuberculosis in the environment who have not actually come forward for HIV testing, they can be captured actually from that clinic and that we are going to start very soon.”

Defence Ministry launches HIV/AIDS control policy guidelines
Daily Trust – May 23, 2008
In a bid to combat the threat posed by HIV/AIDS to the Nigerian military and the nation’s security, the Nigerian Ministry of Defence and United States Department of Defence yesterday launched the Armed Forces HIV/AIDS control policy guidelines.  Speaking during the launch held at the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna, Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze said the NMoD-USDoD HIV Programme had so far attended to 71,212 patients. According to her, 60, 570 have been counseled, while 12,532 out of the 59,381 screened for HIV tested positive as at March this year, …Also speaking on the occasion, the USDoD Programme Manager, Joanna Katzman noted that it was gratifying that through the services of the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna, to both the military and civilian community, over 7500 patients have been tested, while 2600 and 1400, respectively, have been diagnosed and treated.

HIV-positive Army Personnel Get Micro-credit Facility
ThisDay – May 23, 2008
Nigeria Army yesterday in Kaduna disbursed N50,000 each as micro-credit facility to about 100 of its personnel who have tested positive to  HIV/AIDS so that they can commence some income generating activities. Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata, who explained that the gesture is a way of showing the much needed support and care to those who have already tested positive said the credit facility is intended to assist in mitigating the economic impact of the disease on the affected families.  … Represented by Maj. Gen. AA Injoku (rtd), Mrs. Akuabata also revealed that in continuation of the government’s efforts in the provision of comprehensive HIV/AIDS services to the military, the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the United States Department of Defence (DoD) set up 14 military health care service centers. These according to her are spread across the country in order to make HIV/AIDS care services more accessible to the troops, their families and other Nigerians, adding that six more centers will be activated before the end of the year. 

HIV/AIDS’ll be reduced to barest minimum by 2015 —Yar'Adua
Vanguard – May 23, 2008
President Umaru Yar’Adua, yesterday in Benin disclosed that efforts were being put in place by his administration to ensure that deaths through maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS were reduced to the barest minimum by 2015. Besides, he said that frantic efforts were being made by his government to ensure that women, children and persons with disability who constitutes over 70 percent of the country’s population get the attention they required.

Monarch, others to implement UNFPA projects
Guardian – May 23, 2008
THE United Nations Agency For Population Activities (UNFPA) is to engage all the traditional and religious leaders, as well as youths and civil society organisations in the "planning and implementation" of its sixth country programmes in the northern part of the country.
The implementation of the programmes, which include access to maternal healthcare, HIV/AIDS prevention, youth health and development, is under the UN agency's country supervision