Take medication, shun religious indoctrination – Institute tells HIV patients
NAN-HG-9
AIDS
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Dec. 1, 2016 (NAN) Dr Anthony Okwuosah, the Director of Community Medicine, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), on Thursday advised HIV patients to take their medication in spite of their religious beliefs.
Okwuosah said this during the awareness and health talk on the commemoration of the 2016 World AIDS Day, organised by IHVN in Abuja.
“Many HIV and AIDS patients have abandoned their medication as instructed by some religious bodies, having told them that they have been healed through their consistent prayers, faith and others.
“If they stop their drugs, the disease could get worse and the patient could build resistance to the drugs.
“For the HIV and AIDS patients to stay alive, they need to continually take their medication as it is not the end of the world,’’ he said.
Okwuosah said more still need to be done in the area of awareness of the HIV and AIDS as many are still finding it difficult to come out for testing.
He said to stop the epidemic of the disease, every Nigerian need to know their HIV and AIDS status.
“Child to mother transmission to HIV and AIDS had reduced compared to before as there are more enlightenment in various hospitals,’’ he said.
Okwuosah said there were a lot of vaccines trials to cure the disease but the potency of such medicines have not been certified.
The Associate Director of IHVN, Mrs Asabe Gomwalk, said with the anti-stigma law in place, many HIV and AIDS patients are more informed of their rights.
“We are working with states implementing partners to ensure everyone know what the law says and the proper guidelines.
“Taking AIDS out of isolation remains an imperative, if the world is to reach the 2020 target,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World AIDS Day is declared as a global observance event to raise public awareness on the scourge.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also issued new guidelines on HIV self-testing to help with the diagnosis of the deadly disease.
The initiative by the UN health organisation aims at helping millions of people to know their HIV status and get the right treatment.
According to the latest WHO progress report, “lack of HIV diagnosis is a major obstacle to implementing the organisation’s recommendation’’, which says that everyone with HIV should be offered antiretroviral therapy. (NAN)
OEO/BOLA/MST
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola