By Sulaiman Aruna Sesay
National HIV/AIDS Secretariat (NAS), a body that coordinates the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Sierra Leone has presented a New Strategic Plan (NSP) for the fight against the deadly virus.
The new plan which runs between 2021 and 2025 was presented the previous Thursday in a press briefing held at the Ministry of Information and Communication.
The NAS Strategic Plan was launched on 1st December, this year being a date set aside to commemorate World Aids Day with the theme: ‘Global or National Solidarity and Shared Responsibility.’
During the press briefing, the Director-General of the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat, Mr. Abdulrahman Sesay said the new NSP would take effect on 1st January next year.
In his presentation, the Director-General explained the mission and vision of NAS which was established in 2002 as a government subvented agency.
The NAS vision, he says, is to coordinate national response towards making HIV a non-public Health issue.
Mr Sesay further explained that that the NAS mission is to provide policy and strategic framework for mobilizing and coordinating resources for the prevention of HIV transmission.
Provision of treatment, care and support to the infected and affected people in Sierra Leone was also another mission of NAS.
The NSP, he went on, indicated that there is an increase in the new rate of infections known as the prevalence data.
“The Demographic Health Survey, 2019 shows that2.2% women and 1.1% men are HIV positive,” he said.
The trend, he says, indicates that women had more HIV than men.
The NAS Director-General also indicated that an estimated 78,667 Sierra Leoneans live with the sickness in a spectrum projection made in 2019.
Mr Sesay also explained the relevance of innovation to the campaign against HIV/AIDS in the country.
He says innovation is another important area the new NSP wants to address.
The innovation, he stressed, might include introducing the self and family testing system.
To accomplish this dream, Mr Sesay continued, testing kits are available in pharmacies (KP DICS, Nethips support Groups among others.
“People are afraid to go to the hospital to do HIV/AIDS test, but if this new innovation are available, it will help minimize the high rate of HIV/AIDS patients that are afraid to do the test,” he said.
He also stated that the NSP for 2021 and 2025 would contribute to the realization of cluster-1 which is to realise Human Capital Development adding that it also accelerates health care delivery in Sierra Leone.
Human Capital Development is one of the flagship programmes of the New Direction Government.
The NSP, he went on, would be anchored on leaving no one behind, grounded on test for all and retain all in care.
Mr Sesay however did not rule out challenges expected in the implementation of the NSP noting that the plan is faced with critical challenges that need immediate solutions.
One of the challenges identified by the NAS Director-General is the Outbreak of Emergencies with a particular reference to Ebola, Floods, Mudslides, Covid 19 among others.
The difficulty of attracting other donors to support the national response owing to the relatively low prevalence rate, and the persistent stigma and discrimination against HIV patients by community members is another challenge pointed out by the NAS Chief.
In his contribution, the Deputy Director-General James Kamara informed the audience that funding is crucial to the performance of their functions pointing out US$349,845,000 as the sum needed for the NSP implementation.
He called on media practitioners to heighten their advocacy to attract more funding for the campaign against HIV.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Madam Mamadi Ngobeh-Kamara assured NAS of government support in the implementation of NSP to make Sierra Leone a HIV-free Country.