President Muhammadu Buhari insisted on Thursday that all Nigerians should have access to universal health care.
He spoke at the launch of the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) 2018 held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
With 3.2 million Nigerians leaving with HIV/AIDS, he said the disease has significantly impacted the overall development of the country.
Despite huge resources being expended on the fight against the disease in the country since 2001, the President said there are still gaps in the access, coverage and treatment of the disease across the country.
“The availability of accurate HIV/AIDS data of the country is crucial for planning health interventions to arrest the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“It has also led to inefficient utilization and potential wastage of HIV/AIDS commodities due to inaccurate consumption,” he said.
He also pointed out that lack of data has also affected the ability of the country to compete for HIV/AIDS grants and curative measures to eradicate the disease.
The NAIIS, he said, is in line with his administration’s determination to ensure long term sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s health and other developmental challenges.
NATION
