Prof. Zoakah Ibrahim, a physician with the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, on Tuesday called on the government to decentralise HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services.

Ibrahim made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said the decentralisation of the services would reduce rate of infection.

“Decentralising the services will increase access to care and improve health outcomes.

Prof. Zoakah Ibrahim, a physician with the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, on Tuesday called on the government to decentralise HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services.

Ibrahim made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said the decentralisation of the services would reduce rate of infection.

“Decentralising the services will increase access to care and improve health outcomes.

” HIV is increasingly affecting the health and welfare of Nigerians and undermining hard-won gains in child survival recorded in the past.”

“To achieve meaningful reduction in the rate of HIV infection, new strategies are needed to scale up its prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment to combat the disease.

“Failure to decentralise the services, especially to the Primary Healthcare, will slow down the control of the virus,” he said.

He, however, said that insufficient funding for a sustainable effort in prevention and control of HIV/AIDS was a challenge.

He said the failure to respect the existing policies and regulations on HIV/AIDS prevention was also slowing efforts to control the spread of the virus.

Ibrahim called for an uninterrupted supply and prompt distribution of quality ARV, HIV testing kits and other vital commodities, such as male and female condoms to facilitate prevention efforts.

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JUTH Physician calls on Government to decentralise HIV/AIDs services