Forty Percent of New HIV infections in Nigeria have been identified with Adolescents and young Adults by Researchers at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Lagos State.
The Researchers who were speaking at a media conference with a focus on the health and wellbeing of Adolescents and young Adults living with HIV, called for comprehensive sexuality Education and Intensified health care for the age group which has the worst treatment outcomes if Nigeria must achieve it’s SDG target goal three of ending HIV as an Epidemic by the year 2030
Sustainable Development goal three targets to end HIV as an Epidemic by 2030.
The United Nations aids also seeks to reduce viral load suppression through the 95- 95- 95 targets by 2025 through ensuring that 95 percent of Adolescents know their Hiv status, 95 percent of those who know their status being on life savings anti retro viral treatment therapy to achieve 95 percent viral load suppression and new transmission rate.
All these aspirations may be far from realisation given the new research findings from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research which has identified the challenges of poor treatment adherence, poor testing among others with Adolescents in Nigeria.
The Researchers who also identified 50 percent of mental health issues like depression, Anxiety and suicide ideation with Adolescents living with Hiv called for Improved counselling
The need for youths to abstain from high risk sexual behaviours to avoid infections, unplanned pregnancies and abortion also came to the fore
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
