The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and  the network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are campaigning harder for adherence to the 90-90-90 agenda for treatment and viral suppression in the fight to end HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and worldwide.

The UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé,  said going by a  new treatment targets by 2020 which aimed at ensuring that 90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status.


“90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, while 90%  of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral load suppression” he explained.

Further elaborating, Dr Billali Camara, UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria and UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS,  said the last 90 under the 90-90-90 target was adherence to treatment to achieve viral suppression, it was a critical area where CSOs can help to get the process done.


He said CSOs was a very critical and important tool for the fight to end AIDS in the world, we need an understanding on the importance of this collaboration so that the strengthening process can occur.

He said: ``UNAIDS is supporting the CSOs to launch the new structure by the end of September 2015 and to see how we can move forward.’’


Camara said that activism was a very important tool in the fight to end the scourge and we are doing everything possible to get the CSOs hinged to certain policies.


According to him, the collaboration will assist the agency in moving forward the fight to halt the spread and elimination of the scourge.


``UNAIDS had assisted the Network of people living HIV/AIDS NEPHWAN and Association of women living with HIV/AIDs in Nigeria.

``We have put many processes in place that make them to be sub-recipient of Global fund.


``This means that resources will come to them to make sure they strengthen themselves and provide services to their peers that live with HIV/AIDS in the country.


``We are working with NEPHWAN to renew its leadership and the better ways to enhance the participation and performance of the union in the HIV/AIDS response.


``Beyond NEPHWAN there is association of religious leaders living with HIV/AIDS, young people living with HIV/AIDS we are also helping them to renew their constituencies,’’ he added.

The 90-90-90 treatment target was launched at a high-level political session of the 20th International AIDS Conference held in July 2014 in Melbourne, Australia.