Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), recommends the implementation of Social Health Insurance scheme with integration of HIV prevention and treatment services to all states of the federation.
Mustapha told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that such was imperative in complementing the efforts of the federal government in owning the fight against HIV.
He called on the private sector to work more with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Nigerian Business Coalition against AIDS for sustained access to life saving medicines, vaccines and diagnostics.
The SGF appealed to drug manufacturers in the country to, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order on Local Content, help in production of Nigerian made Antiretrovial drugs as well as HIV test kits.
Mustapha, who saluted the American government, the Global Fund and other donors in the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria, assured of Nigeria’s commitment to upholding the human rights and protection of all irrespective of gender.
“Be assured of government’s commitment in ensuring human rights are respected; rights of women and girls as well as gender equality are at the centre of providing health services,’’ he said.
The SGF reiterated the commitment of the federal government to work with relevant stakeholders in achieving zero new HIV infections by 2030 in tune with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV targets. (NAN)