The network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has called on the Federal Ministry of Health to provide Anti-retroviral Drugs (ARVs) for the survival of those living with HIV.
The National Coordinator of the Network, Mr Abdulkadir Ibrahim, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
Ibrahim who expressed concern over the shortage of drugs for the survival of those living with HIV, attributed it to negligence to procure the drugs by those in authorities.
“Currently, we are having crises of a shortage of second-line drugs and stock out of third-line drugs all over the country.
“It is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Health to procure all ARVs but they have failed in that regards.
“We want to know how the N400 million disbursed for drugs in the 2018 budget was managed,” Ibrahim said.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam his searchlight on the Ministry of Health so as to ascertain how budgets being released for drugs were managed.
Ibrahim said that the Network would not accept excuses again from the Federal Ministry of Health over the non-procurement of drugs because people’s lives were being endangered.
The coordinator, who condemned any form of corruption at the detriment of people living with HIV, said that lack of accountability of budgets for drugs was a recurring issue in 2018 and 2019.
He also raised alarm over the administration of expired third-line ARVs to people living with HIV in Kano which he blamed on the failure of the government to provide drugs.
Ibrahim, however, advocated direct involvement of NEPWHAN in matters of HIV/AIDS treatment interventions in the country to avert mismanagement and misappropriation.