SAN FRANCISCO, February 06, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has mandated the National Institute for Medical Research and the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, to do proper study of the two claims to HIV cure in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in Ilorin, on Monday, by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, at the Federal Government Town Hall meeting for the North Central Zone.
THEWILL recalls that a Nigerian professor, Maduike Ezeibe, had recently claimed to have found a cure for the virus.
The minister, who was responding to questions on the position of government on the claims, said getting a cure would be of public health interest to the country but added that there were modalities recognised globally for disclosure of cure which must be followed.
“What we need to do is to make sure that things are done properly,” Adewole said.
“The process to undertake is the animal experiment to be sure it is efficacious and safe before moving to human.
“At the appointed time when we have the results, we shall come public.
He revealed that Nigeria has about three million people infected with HIV, the second highest number in the world after South Africa but noted that the government was close to achieving the promise to make 10,000 Primary Health Care (PHC) service centres available to Nigerians.
He disclosed that the European Union was investing in 650 PHC centres and the British government was funding 950 while the FCT Administration was working to replicate the Federal Government model of PHC centre in the 225 wards in the territory.
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