FG launches new HIV guidelines for key populations

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has launched a national consolidated service delivery guideline on HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) for key populations in Nigeria.

Launching the guidelines in Abuja, the Director General of NACA, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, said, the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) showed that the national HIV prevalence is higher among key populations.

He said the guidelines were intended to redefine the existing approaches and serve as reference for the delivery of all facility-based and community-based HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment services in the country.

He said, “The 2020 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) shows HIV prevalence among key populations as follows: “Female Sex workers 15.5%, Men who have sex with Men (MSM) 25% , People with Disabilities , 10.9% , transgender 28.8% . It has also become evident that key populations are frequent victims of discrimination and abuse according to the 2020 World AIDS report .”

Dr Laura Chittenden Country Director, US Department of Defence, said differentiated key populations case management is important to ensure a client–centred approach.

She said some clients require more intensive of services than others yet globally ensuring that HIV service packages include goods and services specific to those most vulnerable to the disease remained a challenge .

“Some of the goods and services needed for effective service delivery among these vulnerable populations are often overlooked or underrepresented in quantification or funding exercises. Largely this is due to the lack of involvement of key populations in the planning and guideline development processes,” she said.

While saying that Nigeria has been working to address these gaps, she said the launched guidelines will increase awareness of the needs and issues important to key populations.

She said it aims to improve access , coverage and uptake of effective and acceptable services including gender issues and also catalyzes greater national commitment for adequate resources in these areas.