The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has said that Nigeria carries the second highest HIV/AIDS burden in the world with 3.4 million Nigerians living with the disease.
UNAIDS country director, Dr Bilali Camara made this revelation during a visit to to the majority leader, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the National Assembly.
Camara said “Despite the success stories recorded in the past, we still need to double our efforts in the fight to mitigate the negative effects by collaborating and coordinating efforts by all stakeholders.
“We as Africans have a responsibility to take up the global initiative on AIDS for the benefit of our people. Domestic resources have proved inadequate to match the global drive for eradication of the disease.”
He explained that $700 million was spent on HIV/AIDS control in the country in 2014, with 25 per cent of the sum contributed by the Nigerian government.
He also revealed that 58 per cent of the infected Nigerians are women while 124,000 children were infected through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT).