Managing HIV/AIDS

at the Local Level in Africa

Project outputs and

achievements

MAKURDI, NIGERIA

2006
Makurdi Summary
Makurdi City HIV/AIDS Profile
Report on the Makurdi HIV/AIDS
City Consultation
Makurdi HIV/AIDS Action Plan

1
 MANAGING THE HIV AND AIDS PANDEMIC AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL

EXPERIENCE FROM THE Makurdi, Nigeria

A. INTRODUCTION
One of the most devastating scourges of our time is the problem of the Human Immunodeficiency
Virus Syndrome (AIDS). Undoubtedly HIV and AIDS present a major challenge to human
development in Nigeria. Besides poverty, no problem has given Nigeria a more daunting challenge
than the present battle with HIV/AIDS. AIDS is indeed devastating Nigerian communities and poses
a real threat to poverty reduction efforts and the achievement of the UN Millennium Development
Goals. Undoubtedly, HIV/AIDS presents a serious challenge to human development in Nigeria
because the exact cost and spread of the epidemic is still very difficult to calculate.

HIV prevalence amongst the sexually active age group of 15 – 49 years has been on the increase since
the first survey in 1991 when the national average sero-prevalence rate was 1.8% to 3.4% in 1993,
4.5% in 1995 and 5.4% in 1999, 5.8% in 2001 and 5% in 2003 (Policy project 2003). Based on these
prevalence rates, a total of 3.5 million of the estimated national population of 120 million were
estimated to be living with HIV.

Currently, Nigerian has become the first largely populated country to cross the critical
epidemiological threshold of 5%. It has since been projected that by the year 2009, in the absence of
major changes in sexual behaviour and other control measures, the number of people living with HIV
will reach 5 million. Considering the global spread of the HIV/AIDS, of the 40 million people
identified to be living with the disease, 3.5 million is the estimated number of Nigerians living with
HIV/AIDS. This accounts for 10% of the 40 million people infected worldwide
(UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF 2002). In a country like Nigeria, with limited public capacity and
resources to combat the problem, the prevalence is so high that the HIV virus is infecting more than
30 people a day, and the disease is growing faster than the authorities’ response to it. The prevalence
reports in Nigeria reveal the fact that there is no community in Nigeria with a zero prevalence.
(FMoH,) 1999.

B. The HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Makurdi

In the 1999 and 2001 national antenatal HIV sero-prevalence survey, Benue State recorded the highest
state prevalence rates in both 1999 and 2001: 16.8% in 1999 and 13.5% in 2001. The higher
prevalence rate in 1999 of 16.8% is thought to be either an overestimation due to mistakes in the
methodology or due to the large variation around the mean in the relatively small samples. When
comparing the confidence intervals of the Makurdi site for both years, they tend to overlap.

Makurdi has a projected 2005 population of 273, 724 people with 142,231 males and 129,483
females. The city has a projected Annual Population Growth Rate of 2.6% and is predominantly
populated by the Tiv ethnic group. Other minority ethnic groups in the city include the Idoma, Jukun
and the Igalla. The dominant religion in the city is Christianity and the residents are mostly farmers,
civil servants and traders. The city has a well laid out and planned road network, and maintains high
environmental standards (little refuse was seen by the streets) because of the strict enforcement of
environmental legislation in the state. In general, the people are accommodating, hospitable and
friendly to visitors.

2
The city of Makurdi has a high incidence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It occupies the North Central
Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and is the socio-political capital of the region. While it suffers from all
the disadvantages that encourage the spread of the disease, the city is located in an environment that
engages in cultural habits that spread the disease such as traditional circumcision, tattooing etc.
Unfortunately, the location of the city places it in a geographical location where the literacy rate is
low and the incidence of poverty very high.

Like other cities in Nigeria, people identified as having HIV/AIDS are usually ostracized by the rest
of the community. Consequently, nobody will own up to being infected with the disease.
Unsuspecting sexual partners are thus easy victims. Because of the social stigma involved, people are
not ready to carry out HIV tests. Lastly for the country, not much is being done to assist victims as
well as check the spread of the epidemic. Consequently, the lives of the youths are perpetually under
the threat of HIV/AIDS. There is thus the need to bring all segments of the people together to discuss
the problem and find solutions to control the scourge.

C. The Makurdi HIV/AIDS Initiative

Working together with the Development Policy Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, the City of Makurdi aimed
to undertake a study on the situation of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi and how people were affected. The
results of the study were presented at a Makurdi City Consultation on HIV/AIDS, which was held in
April 2005. The outcome of the city consultation was a Makurdi Action Plan to address HIV/AIDS in
the city.

The study commenced with desk reviews and a pilot survey of the city of Makurdi. This enabled the
research team to identify stakeholders for the City Consultation and brief them about the vision of The
African Network of Urban Management Institutions (ANUMI) and the City Consultation on AIDS. It
also afforded the research team the opportunity to plan the data gathering required for the city profile
report. The research team found that although there were numerous AIDS intervention programmes
in the city, the expected benefits to PLWHA were not commensurate with the activities in this regard.
This finding necessitated the involvement of PLWHA throughout all stages of the City Consultation
process.

Next, the research team began the data collection phase of the study, using primary data. The team
administered questionnaires among PLWHA at the Federal Medical Centre and the Bishop Murray
Catholic Mission in the city, the two distribution centres for antiretroviral drugs in the city. Another
set of questionnaires was administered among stakeholders involved in policy making with regards to
AIDS. In Makurdi, this includes officials of the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services,
the Federal Medical Centre, Bishop Murray Catholic Mission Health Centre, The Nigerian Television
Authority, Associations of People Living with AIDS, non – governmental organizations and local
action groups involved in AIDS management etc. The data from the questionnaires was
complemented with focus group discussions with PLWHA to capture their perspectives about the
disease and its impact on their lives.

The next step was the city consultation, which was held from 6 - 8 April 2005. This event was well
attended by a range of stakeholders. Various papers were presented and discussed, including a review
of government policy on HIV/AIDS, challenges facing PLWHA, HIV/AIDS and the MDGs and the
Makurdi HIV/AIDS City Profile. The recommendations and policy issues put forward included the
following:

• The political will is in existence to act decisively to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS
and mitigate its impact, but efforts on the ground are too limited to make positive meaningful
impacts on the lives of PLWHA. Political will need be strengthened to take care of these
limitations. Stakeholders need to be sensitized about the impact of HIV/AIDS on lives and

3
 livelihoods, and advocacy needs to take place to mobilize resources and effort to address the
spread of the epidemic.
• Policy actions are needed, not only on awareness programmes, but also more in the area of
infection prevention, strengthening of care and support to PLWHA and caregivers. Efforts
need be intensified on mitigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS.
• There is an urgent need to give much more attention to appropriate prevention measures in all
cities and communities, with particular focus on high risk groups, that is, the youths and
others affected by poverty and inequality which enhance susceptibility to infection.
• AIDS is still a highly stigmatized disease in Benue State, and as a result, HIV/AIDS is not
addressed openly. This affects prevention, care and support interventions. Stigma also
prevents the collection of accurate data on which to base policy and program decisions.
Hence, policies to eradicate stigmatization must be put in place and intensify it across the
federation.
• As regards care and support, the challenge here is how best to assist and strengthen local
support networks so that they can become more effective without becoming overwhelmed.
Support must build on local initiatives and existing safety nets, avoiding the development of
external or parallel support systems which cannot be sustained. PLWHA needs be
empowered, provided with employment and enough drugs to go round all the PLWHA
identified in the country.
• Care and support efforts should focus directly on target groups and the most vulnerable
groups such as: PLWHA, orphans, widows and elderly caregivers.
• PLWHA need better access to care, which improves their health, quality of life and survival.
Caregivers and the bereaved need be economically engaged, financially empowered, given
socio-psychological counseling and other types of support. Home-based care needs to be
strengthened to prevent existing safety nets from collapsing and to improve quality of care.
There is an urgent need to strengthen the involvement of civil society organizations in
providing care and support.

Smaller groups within the city consultation were formed to discuss and prepare an Action Plan for the
city of Makurdi. In order to actualize practical, innovative and sustainable participatory governance
vis-à-vis the AIDS epidemic, the Makurdi City Board on HIV/AIDS (MCBHA) was formed on the
second day (7th April, 2005) of the City Consultation. The Board focused on a Makurdi City
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Impact Mitigation Initiative, with the goal of reducing the prevalence and
impact of HIV/AIDS on the Makurdi City Population. The objectives and action items are as follows:

1. To increase the programme implementation rate in Makurdi City by 15% in the year 2006
through improved condition mechanism and effective mobilization and utilization of
resources.

2. To increase the percentage of youths who practice abstinence from sex, by 10% for both
males and females by the year 2006.

3. To increase access to comprehensive gender sensitivity prevention care treatment and support
services for people living with HIV/AIDS by 2006.

4. To strengthen the capacity of the board members and stakeholders in Programme design and
implementation, proposal writing, resources, mobilization, monitoring and evaluation,
advocacy etc.

4
 CITY PROFILE
OF
HIV/AIDS IN THE CITY OF
MAKURDI, NIGERIA
BY

DR ABIODUN OJOAWO, DR O. DAIRO AND OJETUNDE

ABOYADE

THE DEVELOPMENT POLICY CENTRE

(ANCHOR INSTITUTION FOR THE AFRICAN NETWORK
OF URBAN MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONS)
 Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 2
A BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY............................................................................................................................ 2
B. FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS................................................................................. 6
C. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY ....................................................................................................................... 6
D. WHY BENUE STATE AND MAKURDI IN PARTICULAR? .................................................................................... 7
E. MAKURDI CITY (THE STUDY AREA) ................................................................................................................ 7
F. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 7
G. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 8
2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 9
A. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS OF HIV/AIDS STUDIES ................................................................................................ 9
B. FACTORS ENHANCING THE SPREAD OF HIV .................................................................................................... 9
C. HIV/AIDS AND GOVERNANCE ...................................................................................................................... 16
3. PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) IN MAKURDI........................... 19
A. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 19
B. AWARENESS LEVEL OF PLWHA................................................................................................................... 19
C. IMPACT OF HIV/AIDS ON POVERTY ............................................................................................................. 20
D. SOCIAL PROBLEMS FACING PLWHA ............................................................................................................ 21
E. SOCIO-CULTURAL PRACTICES QND HIV/AIDS ............................................................................................. 23
F. LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND HIV/AIDS ...................................................................................................... 25
G. CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PLWHA ............................................................................................... 27
4. CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS................................... 28
A. AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS .............................................................................................................................. 28
B. AFFORDABILITY OF HIV/AIDS DRUGS ......................................................................................................... 28
C. LEVEL OF DEPENDENCE OF PLWHA ON RELATIVES .................................................................................... 28
D. HELPERS OF RESPONDENTS ........................................................................................................................... 29
E. PLWHA AND SUPPORT GROUPS ............................................................................................................... 30
5. SOCIAL PROBLEMS FACING PLWHA .................................................................................................... 32
A. STIGMATIZATION ........................................................................................................................................... 32
B. TYPES OF STIGMATIZATION RESPONDENTS EXPERIENCE .............................................................................. 32
C. SOCIAL / PSYCHOLOGICAL DISCRIMINATION ................................................................................................ 33
D. SOCIAL LIFE OF PLWHA............................................................................................................................... 34
E. CARE AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR PLWHA ........................................................................................ 34
6. HIV/AIDS AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN MAKURDI ........................................................................ 40
7. SUMMARY AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 41

1
1. INTRODUCTION
A Background to the Study

One of the most devastating scourges of our time is the problem of the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS). Undoubtedly HIV and AIDS present a major
challenge to human development in Nigeria. Besides poverty, no problem has given Nigeria
a more daunting challenge than the present battle with HIV/AIDS. AIDS is indeed
devastating Nigerian communities and poses a real threat to poverty reduction efforts and the
achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Undoubtedly, HIV/AIDS presents a
serious challenge to human development in Nigeria because the exact cost and spread of the
epidemic is still very difficult to calculate.

Upon noticing the scourge in 1986, with just one person affected, the infection rate has grown
exponentially since then. By June 1999, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in Nigeria
had recorded 26,276 AIDS cases. Because of the fear of social stigmatization, many cases
are not reported through the hospitals, which means, the reported cases were gross
underestimations of the rate of occurrence of the epidemic. The National AIDS/STDs
Control Programme (NASCP) of the FMoH estimates that the total cumulative number of
AIDS cases would have reached 590,000 by the end of 1999.

HIV prevalence amongst the sexually active age group of 15 – 49 years has been on the
increase since the first survey in 1991 when the national average sero-prevalence rate was
1.8% to 3.4% in 1993, 4.5% in 1995 and 5.4% in 1999, 5.8% in 2001 and 5% in 2003 (Policy
project 2003). Based on these prevalence rates, a total of 3.5 million of the estimated
national population of 120 million were estimated to be living with HIV.

Currently, Nigerian has become the first largely populated country to cross the critical
epidemiological threshold of 5%. It has since been projected that by the year 2009, in the
absence of major changes in sexual behaviour and other control measures, the number of
people living with HIV will reach 5 million.

Considering the global spread of the HIV/AIDS, of the 40 million people identified to be
living with the disease, 3.5 million is the estimated number of Nigerians living with
HIV/AIDS. This accounts for 10% of the 40 million people infected worldwide
(UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF 2002). In a country like Nigeria, with limited public capacity and
resources to combat the problem, the prevalence is so high that the HIV virus is infecting
more than 30 people a day, and the disease is growing faster than the authorities’ response to
it. The prevalence reports in Nigeria reveal the fact that there is no community in Nigeria
with a zero prevalence. (FmoH,) 1999

Across the states, the table below also reveals that no state is an exception. Although some
parts of the country are more affected than others, all states record more than 1% prevalence.
In 2003, prevalence rates ranged from 1.2% in Osun State to 12% State in Cross River State.
Nationally, the prevalence rate is higher in urban than in the rural areas. Persons between the
ages of 20-29 are the most affected although in the South-south and Southwest zones, the
prevalence is highest among the 15-19 age group.

2
The situation on the ground in Nigeria is very sobering indeed, Even with the recent drop in
the National prevalence rate from 5.8 per cent to 5 per cent. According to official statistics,
3.5 million Nigerians already live with HIV and AIDS, which is more than the entire
population of some countries. About 300,000 Nigerians die annually of AIDS-related
diseases and 1.5 million Nigerian children have been made orphans as a result of these
deaths. The fact that Nigeria’s prevalence rate is in single digits can be misleading and can
give one a false sense of security. In real fact, Nigeria has the second largest number of
infections in Africa, going by the actual figures, not the percentages.

In fact, the epidemic has acquired a “Generalised” status in Nigeria, meaning that HIV and
AIDS is spreading across all geo-political zones of the country, spreading in both rural and
urban areas equally and across all segments of the population, not just confined to high-risk
groups such as commercials sex workers, homosexuals and drug users.

A more recent study by USAID in 2003 tagged “Policy Project” further reveals the terrible
situation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic along geo-political zones, the states and the profile of
the infections, and possible rate of spread in the nearest future. The table below reveals the
details along the geopolitical zones, the South, South Zone and the North Central zones are in
the lead with 7.0% and 5.8% prevalence rate accordingly from 7.0% and 5.2% in 1999. And
at the state level, the spread reveals that Cross Rivers is on the lead with 12.0% followed by
Benue State in the North Central Zone with 9.3% prevalence rate.

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Table 1.10 Geopolitical Distribution of HIV Prevalence in Nigeria
Population 2003 HIV Number of Number of Number of Number of youth Number of Number of Number of people
Prevalence people people youth (15- (15-24yrs) HIV+ HIV+ requiring
(%) infected infected 24yrs) infected infected (2008) pregnant pregnant Antiretroviral drugs
(2003) (2008) (2003) women women (2003)
(2003) (2008)
North Central Zone 13,894,924 7.0% 460,719 500,633 83,822 107,698 40,820 43,821 91,346
Benue 3,902,638 9.3% 238,328 212,772 29,640 45,517 21,246 18,318 53,825
FCT 526,977 8.4% 26,427 27,499 4,956 6,953 2,126 2,194 4,501
Kogi 3,044,411 5.7% 90,974 106,093 20,111 23,419 8,556 9,395 15,296
Kwara 2,194,976 2.7% 39,901 35,937 6,428 7,603 3,506 3,026 7,356
Nassarawa 1,712,241 6.5% 67,897 68,570 7,887 16,092 5,897 5,917 15,862
Niger 3,432,980 7.0% 129,660 149,327 31,699 35,336 11,415 12,896 20,676
Plateau 2,983,339 6.3% 105,860 113,207 12,741 18,295 9,320 10,393 27,659
North East Zone 16,870,701 5.8% 498,589 550,631 102,828 127,399 44,439 47,668 84,788
Adamawa 2,979,806 7.6% 117,322 137,387 27,810 31,448 10,675 12,005 17,419
Bauchi 4,056,992 4.8% 127,064 127,314 22,474 27,123 11,502 10,785 18,226
Borno 3,595,100 3.2% 66,142 69,230 11,858 16,929 5,425 6,013 17,303
Gombe 2,110,953 6.8% 79,597 91,323 14,180 21,828 7,153 7,880 12,792
Taraba 2,143,617 6.0% 69,039 78,538 16,949 19,000 6,157 6,955 13,770
Yobe 1,984,233 3.8% 39,425 46,839 9,557 11,071 3,527 4,030 5,273
North West Zone 32,481,910 2.7% 726,975 762,883 135,757 184,383 63,447 65,646 140,811
Jigawa 4,076,353 2.0% 42,587 49,834 9,852 12,585 3,646 4,226 7,657
Kaduna 5,579,401 6.0% 237,248 211,354 26,142 49,110 20,368 17,917 56,406
Kano 8,237,029 4.1% 179,842 205,620 41,912 50,095 15,558 17,696 33,086
Katsina 5,320,243 2.8% 84,861 95,984 15,639 23,231 7,596 8,413 14,398
Kebbi 2,932,237 2.5% 51,768 46,092 9,723 10,724 4,540 3,971 10,227
Sokoto 3,397,878 4.5% 80,761 96,072 20,538 24,160 7,332 8,393 10,782
Zamfara 2,938,769 3.3% 49,908 57,927 11,951 14,478 4,407 5,030 8,255
South East Zone 15,272,983 4.2% 393,315 369,983 48,913 83,237 34,940 31,438 91,969
Abia 2,712,984 3.7% 64,954 77,871 13,275 17,330 6,071 6,679 10,672
Anambra 3,964,073 3.8% 107,853 92,485 15,130 20,136 9,066 7,315 23,007
Ebonyi 2,060,679 4.5% 56,422 50,769 6,939 11,885 5,160 4,508 14,420
Enugu 3,012,091 4.9% 76,860 81,998 4,629 19,095 6,719 7,258 21,494
Imo 3,523,156 3.1% 87,226 66,860 8,940 14,791 7,924 5,678 22,376
South South Zone 18,985,583 5.8% 726,324 802,554 97,792 174,843 66,167 67,871 120,239
Akwa Ibom 3,415,174 7.2% 168,862 157,240 1,742 31,415 15,401 13,434 33,042
Bayelsa 1,590,201 4.0% 44,784 46,783 5,985 10,422 3,963 3,832 7,705
Cross Rivers 2,709,823 12.0% 171,420 204,526 39,103 46,461 16,280 17,763 20,618
Delta 3,672,077 5.0% 97,727 113,135 17,901 25,017 8,913 9,751 19,358
Edo 3,078,963 4.3% 77,397 83,794 10,939 18,076 6,970 7,111 16,594
Rivers 4,519,345 6.6% 166,134 197,076 22,122 43,452 14,640 15,980 22,922
South West Zone 24,744,106 2.3% 546,522 510,112 86,130 91,546 43,995 38,655 104,460
Ekiti 2,177,048 2.0% 27,722 26,633 3,932 5,802 2,286 2,048 5,128
Lagos 8,116,535 4.7% 216,826 236,820 36,597 53,894 16,252 18,099 53,441
Ogun 3,308,128 1.5% 50,913 33,082 7,384 1,716 4,077 2,303 7,558

4
 Ondo 3,188,875 2.3% 91,770 58,309 13,189 2,045 7,747 4,242 12,794
Osun 3,059,128 1.2% 55,094 30,598 7,409 1,000 5,097 2,435 9,683
Oyo 4,894,392 3.9% 104,197 124,670 17,619 27,089 8,536 9,528 15,856
126,250,207 5% 3,352,444 3,496,796 555,242 769,106 293,808 295,099 633,613
Source; USAID Policy Project 2003.

5
In everyday language, all Nigerians are now at risk, no matter where they live, no matter their
stations in life, no matter their sexual orientations. It is evident that things could get worse
very soon and if care is not taken, Nigeria may be one of the worst hit countries in the world.

B. Factors Responsible For the Spread of HIV/AIDS

The cause of the disease all over the world relates to individuals’ social behaviour such as
sexual exposure and intravenous drug use (FmoH 2002). In Nigeria however, the leading
driving force for the spread of the HIV infection includes low level of education and high
level of ignorance, cultural practices such as polygamy and wife hospitality, crippling poverty
and lack of access to appropriate reproductive health services and information particularly for
young people. The practice and use of traditional surgery such as uvulectomy and blood-
letting procedures with unsterilized instruments, sexual relations with traditional healers as
part of treatment of infertile women, and non-observance of infection control procedures by
traditional birth attendants who are heavily patronized in Nigeria, may all be key factors
responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Other factors blamed for the spread of the epidemic are cultural practices that encourage
multiple sexual partners such as concubines, Levirate, wife exchange, polygamy and wife
hospitality. This in addition to other cultural practices that expose people to unsterilised
sharp objects such as body scarification and circumcision; subordinate role of women and its
attendant vulnerability which prevents women from negotiating safe sex; ignorance; stigma
and discrimination. Poverty, illiteracy and the nonchalant attitude of some individuals to the
disease are significant factors as well.

In spite of various efforts at both domestic and international levels, the Nigerian situation
seems not to translate into any cheering news about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is becoming
more of a development problem than simply being a health problem. The problem should be
considered a major challenge to sustainable human development in Nigeria, which must be a
concern for all. It is against this backdrop that the present research effort was undertaken
with the hope of introducing a more pragmatic approach tagged ‘A City Consultation’ that
could translate into a more sustainable effort to step down the spread and the impact of
HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The study focuses on one of the leading states in Nigeria in terms of prevalence, Benue State.
The effort is focussed on Makurdi Local government.

C. Justification for the Study

Concerns for the poor, especially people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in terms of socio-
psychological disturbances, discrimination, financial difficulties and other attendant problems
as a result of HIV/AIDS infection, prompted this study. This study focuses on Benue state,
located in north central Nigeria. The State has a total population of 2,780,398 (1991 census),
which has been projected to 3,100,311 (1996), with average population density of 99 persons
per sq. km. This makes Benue the 14th most populous state in Nigeria. However, the
distribution of the population according to Local Government Afeas (LGAs) shows a marked
duality. There are areas of low population density such as Guma, Gwer, Ohimini, Katsina-
Ala, Apa. Logo and Agatu, each with less than seventy persons per sq km. While Vandeik

6
Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Obi and Gboko have densities ranging from 140 persons to 200 persons
per square kilometre.

The state’s population shows a slight imbalance in favour of the females, constituting 50.2
per cent. Benue State is one of the most under-developed parts of Nigeria. This region was
depleted of its human population during the trans-Sahran and trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is
largely rural, with scattered settlements mainly in tiny compounds or homesteads, whose
population ranges from 6-30 people, most of whom are farmers. In the Idoma-speaking part
of the state, the settlements are larger (i.e. 50-200 people). (NAPEP – Overview of Benue
State).

D. Why Benue State and Makurdi In Particular?

In the 1999 and 2001 national antenatal HIV sero-prevalence survey, Benue State recorded
the highest state prevalence rates in both 1999 and 2001: 16.8% in 1999 and 13.5% in 2001.
The higher prevalence rate in 1999 of 16.8% is thought to be either an overestimation due to
mistakes in the methodology or due to the large variation around the mean in the relatively
small samples. When comparing the confidence intervals of the Makurdi site for both years,
they tend to overlap.

E. Makurdi City (The Study Area)

Makurdi has a projected 2005 population of 273, 724 people with 142,231 males and 129,483
females. The city has a projected Annual Population Growth Rate of 2.6% and is
predominantly populated by the Tiv ethnic group. Other minority ethnic groups in the city
include the Idoma, Jukun and the Igalla. The dominant religion in the city is Christianity and
the residents are mostly farmers, civil servants and traders. The city has a well laid out and
planned road network, and maintains high environmental standards (little refuse was seen by
the streets) because of the strict enforcement of environmental legislation in the state. In
general, the people are accommodating, hospitable and friendly to visitors.

The city of Makurdi has a high incidence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It occupies the North
Central Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and is the socio-political capital of the region. While it
suffers from all the disadvantages that encourage the spread of the disease, the city is located
in an environment that engages in cultural habits that spread the disease such as traditional
circumcision, tattooing etc. Unfortunately, the location of the city places it in a geographical
location where the literacy rate is low and the incidence of poverty very high.

Like other cities in Nigeria, people identified as having HIV/AIDS are usually ostracized by
the rest of the community. Consequently, nobody will own up to being infected with the
disease. Unsuspecting sexual partners are thus easy victims. Because of the social stigma
involved, people are not ready to carry out HIV tests. Lastly for the country, not much is
being done to assist victims as well as check the spread of the epidemic. Consequently, the
lives of the youths are perpetually under the threat of HIV/AIDS. There is thus the need to
bring all segments of the people together to discuss the problem and find solutions to control
the scourge.

F. Objectives of the Study

7
The aim of this study is to depict a comprehensive picture of the situation of People Living
with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the city. The objectives are as follows:
1. Conduct desk reviews of HIV/AIDS studies in other cities.
2. Conduct a reconnaissance survey of Makurdi to familiarize the research team with
the study area and plan the data gathering process for the study.
3. Conduct a series of mini-consultations among stakeholders to encourage them to
attend and discuss the problem of HIV/AIDS in an omnibus city consultation.
4. Develop practical and sustainable strategies towards localizing the UN
Millennium Declaration on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi

G. Methodology

The study commenced with desk reviews and a pilot survey of the city of Makurdi. This
enabled the research team to identify stakeholders for the City Consultation and brief them
about the vision of The African Network of Urban Management Institutions (ANUMI) and
the City Consultation on AIDS. It also afforded the research team the opportunity to plan the
data gathering required for the city profile report. The research team found that although
there were numerous AIDS intervention programmes in the city, the expected benefits to
PLWHA were not commensurate with the activities in this regard. This finding necessitated
the involvement of PLWHA throughout all stages of the City Consultation process.

Next, the research team began the data collection phase of the study, using primary data. The
team administered questionnaires among PLWHA at the Federal Medical Centre and the
Bishop Murray Catholic Mission in the city, the two distribution centres for antiretroviral
drugs in the city. Another set of questionnaires was administered among stakeholders
involved in policy making with regards to AIDS. In Makurdi, this includes officials of the
Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Federal Medical Centre, Bishop
Murray Catholic Mission Health Centre, The Nigerian Television Authority, Associations of
People Living with AIDS, non – governmental organizations and local action groups
involved in AIDS management etc. The data from the questionnaires was complemented
with focus group discussions with PLWHA to capture their perspectives about the disease
and its impact on their lives.

Data from the questionnaires were analyzed on a computer software package called The
Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Descriptive analysis of the data, including
case summaries of the questionnaire variables were carried out and the results were used to
develop a comprehensive profile of AIDS in Makurdi.

8
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Empirical Findings of HIV/AIDS Studies

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) results from damage to the individual
immune system. According to Piot P, Kapita, BM, Ngugi E.N, Mann J.M, Colebienders R
and Wabitsch R (1992), AIDS was first recognized in 1981 in the United States of America
in young homosexual men.

Claxton & Harison (1991) reported that the disease is caused by a virus that weakens the
immune system of the body. According to them, it was first identified in Paris in 1983 and
called Lymphia deno pathi associated virus LAV. According to WHO 1994, researchers in
the USA identified the virus in 1984 and called it Human T-cell hyumphotropic Virus type III
(HLTV-III). The International Committee on Taxonomy of viruses recommended the use of
the term Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

The AIDS virus has been linked to the moral and sexual decadence prevalent in the west such
as homosexuality. According to the Association for Survival Progressive Intervention
(1999,) United Nations Statistics indicate that 33.4 million adults and children are living with
AIDS worldwide and 22.8 million or 68% are from Sub Saharan Africa.

As far as AIDS is concerned, African countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, which

incidentally have the poorest nations, have suffered the most devastation. Natural disasters
have enhanced the spread of AIDS by breaking apart community life and disrupting stable
relationships.

AIDS has become a major public Health crisis in Nigeria. The spread of AIDS to and within
Nigeria has been well established. By 2001 Nigeria was said to be occupying the 27th
position in the hierarchy of the worst infected AIDS nations.

B. Factors Enhancing the Spread of HIV

In spite of the intense fight against HIV/AID by the government and non government
agencies, HIV infection continues to thrive and spread at an alarming rate.

WHO (1994) identified the following factors enhancing the spread of HIV:

1. Complacency
2. High risk Behaviour (WHO 1994)
3. War and Disaster
4. Migration - Urban Rural migration increases vulnerability to AIDS, as people
leave their families to urban cities in search of work. This includes young
men who leave their countries to seek work in other countries. In addition,
adolescent girls that are used in western countries for prostitution, Shaibir and
Larson (1995) identified this factor as a major route or spread of HIV.

According to a study on Dar es Salaam and the HIV epidemic, the AIDS epidemic did not
begin in the capital city. Almost certainly it was brought to the city by migrants and
travellers from Kagera, which was the first area to be affected. The first cases were noted in

9
Dar es Salaam by the mid-1980s. Ten years later, the levels of prevalence of HIV were
higher than anywhere else.(NACP 1998 b:19)

AIDS has now become the commonest cause of death in the capital. With a population of
over two million, the city of Dar es Salaam is growing fast. During the 1980s when the last
census was held by the Government of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam had an annual average
growth rate of 4.8 per cent compared with the overall national rate of 2.8 per cent.

Rapid urban growth has meant an influx of rural people who rarely settle permanently in the
capital. Women as well as men form part of the migratory flow. They live in crowded houses
in neighbourhoods full of the noise of life and commercial activity. In Dar es Salaam there is
a social setting characterized by high geographic mobility, with a population weighted
towards the most sexually active age group, where individuals are making new lives away
from the constraint and support of Ken and elders and where social conventions to contain
relations between the sexes and generations and to mediate the babel of contrasting customs
and patterns of behaviour are rooted in shallow soil.

At the extreme, life in the poorer neighbourhoods of Dar es Salaam goes on in high
sexualized contexts where risk and survival hunt together. According to a field work report
on Manzese, Dar es Salaam in 1997, the following was extracted:

During the night, people at Hyena Ground (in Manzese) become so many, they went
to the extent of doing and shouting a lot of things without being aware of what they
are doing. Sexuality and sex are displayed openly, especially by the prostitutes who
are there renting rooms and waiting for customers. There are times when the slum
houses, special for short time renting, are too few for the number of customers and
each customer has to book his time from the house owner. After returning from
school, children from poorer families come here to sell cooked food brought from
their homes to earn money for their families. Mostly young girls between the ages of
10 and 12, they arrive at around 6pm and work to 10pm. We saw many young and
old men trying to seduce them by offering money which would cover the total sale of
food and give them the chance to have sex with the girls. One man was overheard to
say “I’m giving you this money to give mama so that we can make love before you
have to get off home.”

Other factors that lent risk to AIDS were men having a greater purchasing power than
women. Women had greater needs in this regard. According to an observation at a field
work in Kigambom Dar es Salaam in 1995 it is said that women are selling the disease to
men with money buy it. It is said that men are reluctant to use condoms in encounter with
sex workers, even though it is cheaper. Women who agree to have sex without condom
augment their income but put their lives at risk as do their customers.

Other factors responsible for the spread of AIDS in this context include male violence and
sexual brutality, sexual abuse of young girls by older men. (a form of class exploitation) and
Young men’s inability to marry given due economic circumstances.

There are institutions which express collective values of proper behaviour. These include
churches, mosques, local leaders, ethnic associations, parents struggling to keep families
together and protect their children. Poverty leaves people hopeless enough to turn to the
solace of drugs or make prostitution a survival strategy.

10
“AIDS in Kapulanga Mongu: Poverty neglect and gendered patterns of blame” by
Kapulanga, a squalor settlement on the outskirt of Mongu in Zambia’s western province is a
case study, according to Bujra and Baylies (2000). The location of this settlement has an
influence on the high prevalence of HIV in the area. It is situated near the capital of the
Zambia’s western province and Mongu near where it is located in an important commercial
and administrative center.

In spite of the apparent context of relative isolation due to the bad road network and the
consistent flooding of the river very near it, AIDS is deeply entrenched in this area. One of
the factors attributed to this is the migration of young men from the settlement and
environment to find work in the South African diamond fields as early as 1880. Ref Hall
1965.

Early introduction of education within the settlement was another factor. This meant
exporting educated individuals mainly men (later women) as civil servants and later
professionals into the neighbouring towns. The outward movement of these people did not
witness movement into the settlement.

By 1962, there was a large influx of families from a residential area and the number of people
expanded. Later refugees fleeing political dislocations in Angola moved in with its attendant
AIDS related implications. A higher proportion of Zambia’s population is urbanized – 44%
against Tanzania’s 26%. The latter, however has a higher rate of urbanization whose
consequent human mobility could be aggravating the spread of the disease.

Transit stops in both countries, like Livingstone and Chipata in Zambia or Mwanza and
Mbeya in Tanzania, spread AIDS rapidly, because of commercial sex activities of travellers.
According to Zambia’s Ministry of Health, prevalence rates for AIDS were higher in urban
areas than rural ones – 27.9% vs 14.8% respectively. Women under 25 were particularly
vulnerable to the disease in both countries.

In a recent workshop focussing on Ibadan city, Shokunbi, W.A (2002) observed that the
average number of sexual partners per long distant driver was 6, corresponding to an equal
number of locations where they spent the night. For female hawkers aged between 10-40
years, 15% reported losing their virginity through rape, 60% had two or more sexual partners
and 20% claimed they had gonorrhoea in the past.

According to Adeniyi J.O, Adeniyi EO, WA Shokunbi, C. Uwakwe, Titi Ipadeola, 74% of
adult respondents in Ibadan have received injections by patent medicine dealers, 6% by
dispensary, 7% by pharmacists and 13% by self administered injection.

According to Shokunbi’s other findings, African prostitutes in Anglophone countries do not

reveal the true nature of their profession, claiming they are traders. French Francophone ones
are more open about the sex industry, stating it on their passports. Studies by Konotey Ahulu
revealed certain perceptions that people had about PLWA. In Ghana, an ill patient from
Abidjan was perceived to be suffering from AIDS until proven otherwise. There were similar
suspicious of East African patients from Rakai district in Kampala or Kagera region in Dar es
Salaam.

11
Lawson’s A.L (1999) study of ‘Women and AIDS in Africa’ was aimed at examining social
organizational and socio-economic gender inequality issues affecting effective
implementation anti HIV/AIDS policies. The corresponding findings are as follows:

1. Since women in Africa tend to bear more children than other regions of the world, the
risk of mother to child transmission is higher. Because of their generally subordinate
role, they have little say in sexual relationships with their partners, like insisting on
male spouses to use a condom. This increases transmission from husbands to wives.
2. Certain cultural practices like circumcision, genital mutilation, ritual sacrifices and
various skin perforations spread the transmission of AIDS among women.
3. Divorce in matrilinear societies may expose women to polygamous or multi-partner
relationships, increasing their likelihood of catching the disease.
4. In general, societal gender roles permit men to have multiple sexual partners, while
women are not allowed to do so. This increases HIV transmission to women.
5. Polygamous marital relationships speed up AIDS transmission because polygamous
men are more likely to bring in the disease from the city. Migrants in general also
play a role.
6. Men who marry younger women increase transmission since the men may have been
contaminated from previous relationships.
7. Premarital sex is becoming more acceptable in most societies, exposing women to
HIV transmission.
8. Other factors are sexual mobility of women, poverty which pushes many into
prostitution (because of denial of land rights).
9. Education of adolescent girls is crucial because the average age of their first sexual
experience in reducing.
10. Increasing awareness about condom use.
11. Provision of services to reduce HIV transmission e.g well screened blood to clinics,
improved nutrition for pregnant women, prevention of anaemia, treatment of
infections and blood losses due to complications during pregnancy, etc.
12. Female contraception independent of male ones . This tends to make it easier for
women to talk about safe sex with their male partners and even countering the latter’s
objections in this regard.
13. Counselling and HIV screening should be provided to mothers before they become
pregnant.

Sikwibele, A, Shonga C, Baylies C (2000) carried out comparative studies in Zambian and
Tanzanian communties. Their research was carried out in 2 phases in 6 separate sites, within
the two countries. The first phase monitored the spread of the disease at the national level,
government’s response to it and how it was being managed at each site. The second phase
monitored community action around AIDS, with particular reference to its gender
dimensions. In each country, a neighbourhood within or adjacent to the capital city was
chosen as 1 of the 3 sites for local in –depth research.

The 3 research sites in Zambia were Kanyawa, a suburb of the capital Lusaka; Kapulanga, a
squatter area adjacent to Mongu, the capital of Western Province; and the catchment area of a
health clinic in Mausa, the capital of Luapula Province. In Tanzania, several neighbourhoods
in and around Dar es Salaam constituted the first of the sites. The second was a rural area in
the mountain above Lushoto in the Tanga region and the third a set of villages near Rungwe.

12
According to them, AIDS is deeply entrenched and the town is 600km west of Lusaka and
relatively isolated by poor roads and flooding from the Zambezi river. A quarter of the
town’s adults are infected with the disease. Local cultural understandings and historical
patterns of integration within a wider political economy have shaped the people’s perception
of AIDS.

The town has a strong cultural heritage, but high rates of poverty and the belief that sex is
crucial to physical and psychological well being of the people promoted polygamy and extra-
marital sexual activity, which spreads the disease. Subjugation of women’s rights and their
legal problems meant they had little control or voice in their sexual relationships which tend
to spread the disease. Most sampled respondents identified sexual promiscuity as the prime
reason for the spread of AIDS, caused by poverty. Women received a disproportionately
large share of the blame for spreading AIDS. Prostitution, unwillingness to control sexual
desires, poverty etc, were other causative factors of AIDS.

A study by Najem G.R and Okuzu, E.I compared medical students’ perception of HIV and
AIDS in two cities with different cultural and educational backgrounds. A total of 292 1st
and 2nd year medical students (45% samples were selected from New Jersey Medical School
and Benin Medical School, Nigeria). The former were more knowledgeable and had more
positive attitudes and behaviours regarding HIV infection and AIDS. Misconceptions
regarding modes of transmission were significantly higher among the Benin Students. The
Newark students had more frequent sexual intercourse and used condoms more frequently,
but the Benin students had more sex partners. Perception of personal risk and concern of
contracting AIDS was significantly higher among the Newark students than the Benin
students. These results indicate it is important that medical educators in medical schools
convey accurate information to improve medical students’ perception about HIV infection
and AIDS.

Abiona, B.T.A(2001) carried out a descriptive study examining female adolescents

perception of sexual behaviours and the risks involved in two selected secondary schools -
Co-educational and Girls Schools in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. A simple random sample of
100 female adolescents was used and data was collected through a 38 item self administered
questionnaire. Data was analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

The hypothesis revealed an insignificant relationship between peer influence and sexual
behaviour of female adolescent. The findings also revealed a statistically significant
difference of the awareness level of the risks involved in the sexual behaviour of the 2
schools. Female adolescent sexual behaviour and associated risks can spread Sexually
Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Therefore, early sex education for girls was prescribed
(including precautionary measures). Replications of the study using a larger population for
generalization purposes was recommended.

The Methodology of the study used simple random sampling of Akpalakpa Grammar School
with a total population of 146 students in SSI and SSII (two of the senior secondary school
classes) and St Judes Girls Grammar School, Amarata-Yenagoa with a total population of
350 students in SSI and SS II. The sample size for the 2 schools was 100 subjects,
corresponding to 20% of the target population. Questionnaire instruments captured the data.

Among her findings are as follows:

1) Forty seven percent (47%) of respondents had boy friends and 53% did not.

13
2) Sixty-four (64%) of respondents had boyfriends for the sake of it, 1% because their
friends had boyfriends, 8% because they were of age, 2% because they needed to
prepare for marital life and 19% for other reasons.
3) Seven percent (7%) of the respondents were pregnant and 93% had never been
pregnant before.

The study made a number of policy recommendations, which are listed as follows:
1) Health professionals, should, as much as possible educate the public as well as policy
makers to give adequate attention to female adolescents.
2) Government and NGO’s should periodically organize seminars and workshops for
adolescents.

Finally the study suggested areas for future research:

1) Further studies on the effect of peer influence, poverty and ignorance on the sexual
behaviour of female adolescents
2) Comparative studies of male and females’ adolescent sexual behaviour.

Ibiobeleari’s D.S (2004) study of nursing schools in Ibadan was aimed at determining the
knowledge and attitudes of student nurses towards the care of HIV/AIDS clients in 2 schools
of nursing in Ibadan – The School of Nursing, UCH and The School of Nursing, Eleyele.
The objectives of the study were to assess the level of knowledge student nurses and
determine the relationship between their knowledge and attitudes.

The study design was based on a descriptive survey based on the objective. The school of
Nursing, Eleyele was established in 1949 at the old prefabricated army barracks in Eleyele
Entry qualifications at that time were government class 4, Junior and Senior Cambridge. The
new admission criteria are 5 credits in SSC or GCE/WASC including English, Mathematics,
Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The school shared its clinical experience with Adeoyo
Hospital in 1972. The school has been running a 3 years basic programme. It is overseen by
the Ministry of Health and supervised by the Directorate of Nursing Services.

The School of Nursing, UCH was founded in July, 1952 at a temporary site at Eleyele. It
moved to its present location at Oritamefa in 1957. Its aim is to train professional nurses to
fulfil the fundamental needs of Nigeria in the nursing field and contribute to the world
population of nurses of international standards. Applicants had to be at least 171/2 years old,
with 5 credits in WASC/SSCE and pass the common entrance test and a personal interview
given by the school of Nursing, UCH.

The target population was the student nurses of both schools with a sample size of 30% in the
School of Nursing Eleyele and 30% in the School of Nursing UCH. In Eleyele 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
year Students were sampled with 30, 35, 35 from the respective classes (100 total). In UCH,
60 were sampled out of 180 with 20 selected from 1st and 3rd year.

Questionnaires were administered to students to capture demographic data and information

about their source of knowledge and pathophysiology, knowledge on mode of transmission
and universal standards, respondents’ attitude. Data Analysis was done through the use of
descriptive statistics in the form of graphs, frequencies and percentages, t-test and Pearson’s
correlation. Hypotheses were tested using Pearson’s correlation and t-test on SPSS software.

14
Among her findings were as follows:
1) Eighty percent (80%) of respondents had received their information about AIDS from
school, 63.8% from TV Lectures, 37.5% from radio, 10.6% from rallies, 37.5% from
seminars/workshops, 22.5% from conferences and 25.6% from friends and relatives.
2) Forty three point one percent (43.1%) of respondents had not received a lecture on
AIDS, 16.3% received AIDS lectures in their first year, 29.4% in their 2nd year and
11.3% in their 3rd year and 58.1% had managed HIV positive/ AIDS clients. About
one-third of the respondents had not received a formal lecture on HIV/AIDS.
3) Most of the respondents did not know the composition of the cell that fights the
disease. Most were knowledgeable about the mode of transmission of the disease e.g
unprotected heterosexual intercourse, blood transfusion, sharing of sharp instruments.
4) Most respondents had little knowledge about universal standards of AIDS prevention
among health care workers e.g hand washing use of gloves, masks and gown, using
needles place in punctured resistant containers and protection of the eyes.
5) Based on hypotheses tests, there is a positive and significant relationship between the
attitude and the quality of care given by the respondents in question. There is a low
positive correlation between knowledge and sources of information. There is no
statistically significant difference between the attitude of the students in both UCH
and School of Nursing Eleyele.
6) Eighty four point four percent (84.4%) of student nurses agreed that care of
HIV/AIDS patients was obligatory, 86.3% agreed that HIV/AIDS patients should be
given the same care as any other patient. Thirty percent (30%) agreed that AIDS
patients should be isolated, 39.4% agreed that nurses should have the right to choose
to work with AIDS patients, 86.3% agreed that all patients should be screened for
HIV, 69.4% believed it was unethical for hospitals to refuse admission to AIDS
patients or discharge them because of the disease, 51.2% were reluctant to care for
AIDS patients and 83.3% agreed not to discriminate against them. Fifteen point
seven (15.7%) agreed that HIV/AIDS patients should be nursed by their relatives
alone.
7) Education programmes involving training sessions on HIV/AIDS should be organized
for student nurses at regular intervals from the onset of training to run throughout the
programme.
8) Nursing education programmes should integrate key issues regarding knowledge
about HIV/AIDS and attitudes to improve clinical practices in this regard.
9) Clinical instructors should ensure strict compliance among nurses regarding WHO’s
universal standards to present HIV transmission in the clinical setting, in order to
ensure safe practices.
10) The Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria should change the curriculum for
training and integrating HIV/AIDS issues as early as the 1st year.
11) Role models such as staff nurses and nursing officers should be involved in in-service
education, seminars/workshops and reading of current relevant journals on
HIV/AIDS.
12) Nurses should be trained in the counselling of AIDS patients. The more they know
about the disease the more they are likely to be involved in its treatment.
13) Requirements needed for universal WHO standards should be provided regularly.
Government should increase funding of health care facilities and ensure that funds are
used appropriately.

Suggestions on Future Studies were as follows:

15
 More studies are needed on the knowledge of student nurses about the
pathophysiology of HIV/AIDS and universal standards.

C. HIV/AIDS and Governance

The following findings on governance were made, based on community interventions in

Kanyama, an urban neighbourhood in Zambia’s capital Lusaka. It is a residential district of
greater Lusaka. There are different interventions methods in place in this regard:

1. The use of Church based Traditional educators.

These are a group of women in Kanyama who called themselves traditional educators
but in fact are drawn from various church denominations. They emerged in the early
1970’s. They offered guidance to adolescent girls, prospective brides and married
women on sexual matters.
They are being guided by AIDS activists at the National level and NGOs who have
directed attention to them, guiding and training them so that they can use their role to
impact knowledge on others about HIV. They incorporate customs which are
consistent with their religious beliefs in gaining access to talking to women.

2. Peer education programme supported by UNICEF AND NORAD.

This project, according to a research survey, was the best known among AIDS
activists. The program targeted vulnerable women including sex workers. The
educators worked in small groups and moved around the area performing minidramas,
facilitating general discussion and distributing condoms.

3. The Home Based Care Programme.

This was operated under the auspices of the Catholic Church. This new program is
an offshoot of an earlier program started in 1994 around a group of eight women who
received training in counselling and care of those with HIV. Members of the group
visited homes in Kunyama and provided counselling on care and assistance.

4. The International NGO CARE

In the mid 1990s CARE’s activities were primarily concerned with poverty alleviation
through means intended to build local capacity.

These organizations faced a number of challenges, which are listed as follows:

1. Lack of adequate support
2. Insufficient information about AIDS
3. Lack of Finding
4. Inefficient Networking
5. Administrative Bureaucracy
6. Goal displacement caused by departure from posts via promotion and more
prestigious appointments.
7. Lack of trust and mutual mistrust
8. Political Interference
9. Corruption

Intervention work in Tanzania was targeted at diverting young people from sexual activity. It
focused on Information, Education and Communication Programme (IEC).This is based on

16
the assumption that it was ignorance which fuelled risky sexual behaviour and spread of
AIDS. Its policy thrusts are as follows:

1. Inclusion of Reproductive Health Issues in the curricula of primary and secondary

schools.
2. Organising seminars.

The National Intelligence Council (2002) evaluated the effectiveness of the governance of
some nation states regarding the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to them, the
commitment of ‘Senior Political Leadership’ is a key variable in the few successful AIDS
intervention programmes around the world. They concluded that the leaders of Nigeria,
Ethiopia, Russia, India and China will be challenged to balance AIDS with other pressing
domestic and foreign policy issues. They states that some leaders are paying more to the
disease but have not given it the priority attention it deserves.

Active leadership is critical in checking widespread public ignorance of the disease. The
challenge is especially great in these countries because of fragile communications links,
numerous government jurisdictions and difference ethnic and language groups.

Nigeria’s leadership has been the most active of the five countries in trying to raise AIDS
awareness e.g by hosting a regional AIDS conference in 2000 and giving public warnings
about the risk of extinction on the continent. This was in spite of the fact that Obasanjo’s
administration had other pressing issues, like upcoming elections and rising ethnic and
religious tension. The deterioration of government institutions over the last 10 years
undermines these initiatives. According to them, Nigeria has developed domestic monitoring
and diagnostic capabilities, especially in Lagos, and a major study on the economic effects of
HIV/AIDS in underway. The Nigeria military, concerned about the loss of key personnel
from AIDS, now mandates training about the disease for soldiers.

The Ethiopian Government does not appear to be focussed on AIDS, despite occasional
statements on the issue. The government has focussed in recent years on the conflict with
Eritrea. Healthcare workers privately have criticized efforts in recent years as half hearted,
and UN officials have publicly warned Ethiopian leaders to take more measures to stem the
epidemic.

The Russian Government has not mounted a sustained effort up to now to publicize the
growing threat of HIV/AIDS. Russia faces so many other serious problems that HIV/AIDS is
unlikely to receive a high level attention for an extended period until the economic and
security costs of neglect became more tangible.

The Indian Government has taken numerous steps to highlight the risk that AIDS poses to the
country, but tensions with Pakistan and growing religious strife clearly are considered more
pressing issues. Furthermore, India faces competing priorities to address such other health
challenges as Tuberculosis (TB). Nonetheless, the Indian Government did react to the
emergence of HIV/AIDS in 1986 by creating the National AIDS Control Organization
(NACO).

The Chinese Government has become significantly more open over the last year in
acknowledging the rising HIV/AIDS problem after ignoring it for years. The central
government has organized some public relations events to increase awareness about the

17
disease and Beijing has sought bilateral assistance from the United States and others to
improve its anti-AIDS campaign.

Nonetheless, domestic funding to combat the disease remains low, and Chinese leaders will
have difficulty keeping HIV/AIDS high on the agenda as they struggle to deal with such
challenges as maintaining economic growth, diffusing rural discontent, managing the
communist party leadership transition, opening Chinese markets more widely to trade, and
modernizing the military. Moreover, decision making has become so decentralized in China
on healthcare and education that senior leaders in Beijing cannot always count on provincial
and local leaders to follow through, in this regard.

18
3. PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS
(PLWHA) IN MAKURDI
A. Introduction

In order to formulate policy strategies to benefit PLWHA in Makurdi and localize the UN
MDG on HIV/AIDS in the city, the research team carried out a series of focus group
discussions among PLWHA in the city of Makurdi. The discussants were AIDS patients at
the two distribution outlets for Care and Support Services in the city, namely the Federal
Medical Centre and the Bishop Murray Catholic Mission. These discussions were meant to
obtain first-hand information from the people affected by the disease and to complement the
quantitative analysis of the questionnaires filled by AIDS patients in the city. The focus
group discussions were held after a series of mini-consultations of all AIDS stakeholders in
the city during the reconnaissance survey and city profile stages of the City Consultation
process.

B. Awareness Level Of PLWHA

In general, the respondents were aware about the disease, but had a few misconceptions about
symptoms associated with the disease and modes of transmission. This partially explains
why and how they contracted the disease. Most of them mentioned their knowledge of
friends, relatives and colleagues who have the disease.

Most respondents relied on information derived from social relations with friends, relatives
and colleagues to obtain sketchy information about the disease. Unfortunately, this source of
information tends to be inefficient regarding enlightenment of the people about symptoms of
AIDS, modes of transmission, availability of care and support services etc. This caused
considerable stress and anxiety to some patients during the initial stages of their contracting
the disease.

To buttress this point, one of the respondents shared her experience about the disease.
According to her, she had heard about HIV but had never seen it with her naked eyes, until
she contracted the disease. Then, she knew about the reality of the disease. As she fell sick,
she went to the hospital, but the health workers did not tell her that she had contracted the
disease. But she began to perceive that she had HIV. Instead, the health workers told her
brother and he refused to disclose the information to her. According to her, she can identify
people with the disease from their external symptoms.

The respondents had a number of suggestions concerning the control of the spread of the
disease. Some believed abstinence from sex was a sure way of controlling the spread and the
grace of God. They believed parents should play a more important role regarding the
education of their children about the disease.

One of the respondents shared her experience. When she knew she had the disease, she did
not hide it from her children. All of her children are aware that she and her husband have
HIV. She sits with them to tell them about her health status before and after she contracted
the disease and the dangers and risks associated with the disease. She educates them to
abstain from sex until they are married. According to her, such initiatives should start from

19
the home to avoid overdependence on the local government. According to her, God has
heard her prayers and her children are doing well.

The respondents believed HIV prevalence is higher among the youths and couples that want
to marry should do so, even if one of them has HIV. If the couple is open in communication
and takes the requisite precautions during sex, the spread of the disease could be controlled
more effectively.

Other respondents believed that most people die from the disease because of ignorance. They
believe others with the virus live in denial and most of them die because of poverty linked
with the issue of having no relatives to support them. One of the main modes of transmission
is through sex.

Furthermore, HIV, according to the respondents, is ravaging women mostly because of are
more vulnerable to unsafe sexual practices and poverty drives them into prostitution. One of
the respondents, an activist with the Benue Network of People Living with AIDS, shed more
light about the prevalence and spread of the disease. According to him, his association is
aware about the problem in Makurdi, especially the way the infection rate has been hitting
young people in Benue State. Statistics have shown that the problem has severely affected
many young people in this state and this has caused a lot of concern to the activists in his
association. In this regard, his association is working on this particular issue and involving
the youth to change behaviour that tends to spread the disease, such as casual sex.

C. Impact of HIV/AIDS On Poverty

According to the respondents, HIV/AIDS has worsened their level of poverty. The patients
purchase drugs at very high rates and drugs are often unavailable. Some of the patients buy
the drugs at N7,000.00. The Civil Servants among the respondents stated that the cost of the
drug takes more than half of their annual salary. According to the farmers, HIV/AIDS
prevents them from farming effectively, as some of their children drop out of school because
of their inability to generate enough revenue to pay their school fees. To make matters
worse, the patients lack the money to provide other domestic needs like the healthcare of their
children. Often they are compelled to sacrifice meals to conserve the few funds they have to
purchase antiretroviral drugs.

One of the patients explained further about the financial problems of PLWHA. According to
him, the government which should be subsidizing the cost of their drugs is not forthcoming in
this regard. Most of the drugs, according to him, are very expensive. In his case, he has 6
children and the cost of purchasing the drugs for himself and his wife is N14,000.00 a month.
With a monthly salary is N17,000.00 this leaves very little for other pressing needs, like his
daughter’s balance of N3,000 to gain admission into the university. Consequently, her
admission is on hold because of his inability to pay this money. Most of his January salary
paid this balance, leaving him with N1,000. That makes it impossible to continue the use of
the drugs. In conclusion, he appealed to the government to alleviate their suffering in this
regard.

In addition, the cost of foodstuffs and essential domestic needs in the market is very high
now, so most of them lack the funds to buy food and things for their children, as well as the
drugs, that are very costly and the PLWHA lack the money to buy them.

20
One respondent analysed the vicious cycle of the disease, poverty and social stigmatization.
According to him, many HIV/AIDS infected people sell all their belongings to purchase
drugs and end up with virtually no material possessions. With time, their bank accounts
become empty, causing them to run to their families for financial assistance. Unfortunately
not all families are caring enough to assist them. To make matters worse families even
increase their stigmatization of their relatives living with the disease. Consequently, the
affected patients begin to feel lonely, leading to depression, causing them to detach
themselves from the world. Because of their lack of access to drugs, they begin to think that
all hope of survival is lost and harbour thoughts of death, which is often the case with such
people.

Some PLWHA lose their jobs because they are no longer strong enough to continue working
so they are chased out of their jobs by their employers. Some of them who wish to be
employed especially in the police force in the army are refused appointments because of their
status, worsening their economic situation. Other employers require PLWHA to go for a test.
Oftentimes the employers reject the applicant if found to be HIV positive.

D. Social Problems Facing PLWHA

The social problems facing PLWHA are indeed numerous and could be described in some
cases as tragic. They range from personal depression, isolation, low self-esteem,
stigmatization from friends, colleagues and relatives, discrimination at the workplace etc.

According to one of the respondents, he fell sick when he was told he was HIV positive. He
became worried because he thought death followed anyone who contracts the disease. He
became very worried over this and turned several times to God in prayer. He was admitted to
the hospital and did not eat for a long period of time, neither did he drink water. His mouth
dried up and became depressed, although the doctors at the hospital visited him. In addition
he felt isolated as a result of contracting the disease. According to him, he was happy to be at
the focus group discussion because it gave him an opportunity to socialize with his friends.
Social gatherings like these were rare for him because people in the community keep away
from people like him, once they know he is HIV positive.

Another respondent said HIV/AIDS is now becoming one of the leading cause of death in
their society now, as most of their relatives are dying. It is affecting their brothers, sisters and
friends so it is affecting family cohesion and social stability in general. He supported the fact
that the disease is worsening their poverty. He wanted the government to come their aid.
Although they are making some effort in this regard, they should do more. Their salaries are
not paid as and when due, and some haven’t even paid salaries for December, 2004 and
January 2005. Their children have dropped out of school. In his case, he has 8 children and
takes care of all of them, all in secondary school. They were all at home at that point in time.
As a farmer, he supported the point that with HIV, farmers lack the physical energy to farm
and no money to hire hands to assist in this regard. According to him, worrying about the
disease causes early death because of associated complications of blood pressure and that
contributes more to their problem. He repeated the suffering of their children, so he appealed
to the government should come to their aid. Another respondent narrated the experience of
workers and farmers they know are positive. Such people tend to hide, and feel ashamed to
go to the hospital or find other forms of assistance. So they die, one after the other because
they are ashamed of their status vis-à-vis their relationships with their parents, friends and
relations.

21
To further buttress the fact that HIV/AIDS is causing severe strain on some families, a
respondent pointed the prevalence of severe family conflicts, suspicion etc. For example,
cases of a woman being HIV positive and the husband negative. Some of the husbands, in
this regard, find it difficult to accept this fact, leading to the breaking of the home. Also, if
the woman is negative and the husband is positive, the wife often becomes hostile to her
husband, causing the breakdown of the affected home. In addition, the disease is known to
divide many families, as family members who do not have the disease ostracize, neglect and
even discriminate against those who do.

Another female respondent, a farmer, reiterated the previous points. The disease is affecting
them in so many ways. They lack the money to take care of themselves and the badly needed
drugs are very expensive. They lack the strength to work even in their farms. Their children
are sent home from school because of their inability to pay their school fees.

Other respondents shared their social problems. Going to public places like church or the
office causes people to avoid them and abstain from sitting next to them, upon knowing they
have the disease. Several others infected by the disease are hiding and it is contributing to
their slow death.

This is particularly painful for the AIDS patients because most of them had a social life, like
going to the bank to withdraw money or going to the clubs for beer, church meetings etc.
Others narrated their experience at commercial centres where their friends used to sit next to
them, chat to them and pour out their love to them, but it is not longer so.

According to them most of the people who are HIV positive feel like failures so they abstain
from most forms of social life. Friends who used to visit them no longer do so, upon
knowing they have the disease. If they visit the respondents at all, they stay outside and talk
to them because of fear of contracting the disease. To make matters worse, friends of
PLWHA tend to be suspicious of them of being sexually immoral, knowing this is a leading
mode of transmission of the disease, adding to their stigmatization.

According to the respondents, discrimination against them by their relatives and friends is
quite common. For example, a widow among the respondents narrated her ordeal with her
relatives. When her husband died and her relatives discovered he died of HIV they suspected
that she had the disease. Consequently, they attempted to take her children away from her and
leave her alone, because of their fears of being infected. She resisted this attempt, together
with her father. As a result, none of her in-laws visit her. She reiterated the views of the
previous respondent who mentioned how the disease has affected their social life. When the
relatives visit her, they refuse to enter her house, again because of their fears of being
infected. In fact neighbours, colleagues and friends tend to stay away from people like her,
knowing they are HIV positive.

Consequently AIDS patients begin to develop low self-esteem and worry about why people
tend to avoid them, among other negative thoughts. In addition, such people tend to think
about death more often. Such people also worry about meeting domestic needs like
children’s education. The children too tend to suffer embarrassment and harassment at
school because of the HIV status of their parents.

22
This respondent was lucky because her children are alive to take care of her. But she feels the
tremendous isolation caused by friends who no longer visit her. With her meagre resources
she tries to get by and make ends meet with her children.

Another respondent expressed surprise that people who are elites in the society and are
learned and educated and health workers like nurses stigmatise and discriminate against
PLWHA. According to her, the stigma is killing more people than the virus.

Psychologically, most HIV positive patients tend to think they have sinned and think they are
no longer going to stay in this world for too long. This contributes further to their state of
depression. To expound on this, other respondents believed that many PLWHA break down
mentally, believing they no longer have hope in life. Some do not regard themselves as
human beings any more, developing an inferiority complex around other people who do not
have the disease.

Furthermore, the stigma causes PLWHA to live in fear, believing they can no longer exist
and that they are nothing in the society. Thinking about their predicament adds to their stress
and they wear out physically and mentally with time. Examples of thoughts of inadequacy
and low self-esteem include inability to care for their children’s education, inability to engage
in gainful employment etc. These psychological problems hasten their death rate as they
believe they cannot function effectively in society like other people.

E. Socio-Cultural Practices qnd HIV/AIDS

The respondents believed that there were certain socio-cultural practices that tend to spread
the disease and there are a number of such practices among the Tiv ethnic group in Benue
State. The practice of polygamy, marrying several wives and indiscriminate sex tends to
spread the disease. Because Tiv men believe that marrying several wives makes them rich, it
is common for them to marry up to 10 wives and if this man is infected, that means all the
wives are likely to be infected as well.

The respondents mentioned a ‘Quayee Festival’ where both boys and girls sleep in the same
place for 2 or 3 days, causing them to engage in casual sex. The Quayee festival is a puppet
theatre show, where a puppet made out of wood raffer and straw entertains an audience.

The respondents believed circumcision is another common mode of transmission of the

disease. Although they are being educated that circumcision should be practiced only on the
males, females practice it as well. Oftentimes, the instruments used are not sterilized before
using it for another person and this is spreads the virus. Also the use of unsterilized sharp
object spreads the disease.

To explain this point further, the respondent shared their varied experiences, regarding these
cultural practices. An example is the patronage of quack doctors in the surrounding rural
areas of cities like Makurdi. Oftentimes, these doctors do not treat their needles, nor do they
boil their syringes. Native doctors are in the habit of using one old roasted razor to cut
several people for circumcision causing the disease to spread rapidly in the village
environment.

Respondents recounted the case of one native doctor in their area who uses the same dish in
treating thousands of people who patronize his services. In addition, he uses the same feather

23
to treat several people. As these objects make contact with open wounds, rashes etc, the HIV
virus spreads quickly.

The respondents made further clarifications about circumcision because it applies more to
males than females. In this regard, doctors use a knife called ‘Antein’ in Tiv. Oftentimes,
they do not boil it anytime a male child is given birth. They use the knives to circumcise
several babies, contributing further to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the razors used
for tribal marks are oftentimes not sterilized and this also contributes to the spread of the
disease.

The respondents were unanimous concerning the perceived practice of ‘Wife Hospitality’
among the Tiv. That is to say the practice among Tivmen of allowing visitors to sleep with
their wives as part of their way of entertaining such guests. The respondents stated that
Tivmen tend to be very jealous over their wives. They were known to inflict serious bodly
harm or even kill people who attempted to befriend their wives. However, the respondents
pointed out that wife hospitality occurs to some degree in the rural areas of the state and was
more common there in the past. Interactions between male visitors and females regarding the
sharing of food tended to encourage the practice then. They stated that, the practice will be
more difficult today because women are more learned and know that they cannot be pushed
around.

However, some of the respondents mentioned ‘Wife inheritance’. In other words, when the
husband dies and leaves the wife, the relatives will take over the wife, not knowing the cause
of the death of that person. The relatives who inherit the wife end up being infected.
Another one is superstition people believe that you can get HIV through superstition. That is
to say, this is helping the spread of the virus. Instead of knowing the basic fact of HIV/AIDS
they believe their strength shields them from the disease. Others believe people can be
bewitched by HIV/AIDS. They believe that HIV/AIDS comes in various forms and is a fast
killer. Therefore it can kill anyone at any point in time. Another issue in this regard is that
some people believe that other people attempt to poison them and such people continue their
attempts to manage the disease the traditional way, and by so doing they spread it more.

Another point mentioned by the respondents is the use of sharp objects by youths who want
to acquire supernatural powers. Consequently, they cut their bodies, believing the powers
they receive by doing this will protect them from attacks from cutlasses and bullets. Such
youths believe a man should be prepared for such attacks at all times. This practice transmits
the disease as well.

Another respondent mentioned the subordinate role of women in their culture that is
indirectly contributing to the spread of the disease. According to her, when a woman does
not have a say in the house she cannot negotiate safe sex with her partner and economically
women are the most affected. Most women don’t go to school and they are submitted to their
husbands. Even though their husbands are infected, they are compelled to stay with them.
Consequently if the infected husband wants his wife on his bed, she must submit to his
demands. She believed that women should be empowered economically so that they can have
a say in issues like safe sex in their homes. In addition, economic empowerment of women is
likely to reduce the rate of prostitution among them, which is an important factor spreading
the disease.

24
 F. Local Governance and HIV/AIDS

The respondents mentioned the efforts of government to create community awareness about
the disease and provide care and support services for PLWHA. According to them, the
Government has been making announcements on the radio and placing posters in the city,
creating awareness. AIDS is sometimes discussed in churches and local television and radio
programmes have awareness campaigns about the disease. This has increased the awareness
level about the disease in the community and its realities among the people. One of the
respondents supported abstinence from sex as a sure to avoid contracting the disease.

The respondents believed gatherings like the focus group discussions and other opportunities
through churches, school, video clips and television will increase their awareness level about
the disease. According to them, the Federal government is making some effort to manage the
disease, as well as the Benue State government. They were unsure about the effectiveness of
the local government in this regard. In fact, they believed the local government is somewhat
quiet about the issue. In addition, they were not giving PLWHA tangible assistance and
recognized the effort of the Federal and State government to cushion the hardships caused by
the disease.

The respondents believed the HIV/AIDS epidemic poses a serious challenge to the
government, although they were making some tangible efforts in trying to control the spread
of the disease. For example, they spent money in buying drugs but the drugs cannot go round
to benefit all the infected people.

They believed the local government should come out with a much stronger effort, because
they are closer to the grassroots. They wanted the local government to extend their assistance
to people in the surrounding rural areas to increase the overall benefits to PLWHA. The
respondent suggested financial assistance first and then availability of drugs as priority issues
for the government.

One of the activists on AIDS shed more light about government’s effort to check the spread
of the disease. At the Federal level, the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) is
doing its best to coordinate the activities of the State Action Committees on AIDS (SACA).
The State level is putting in place SACA and they getting through SPT in the coordination of
SACA. SPT is getting money and this money is brought to the state from the few NGO’s that
are accessing this money to go out there and have HIV/AIDS activities done.

At the Federal Level the president have made available to the Ministry of Health few drugs
but they are so few that they can not go round because of the high rate of infection. The
drugs are so few in Benue State, 800 people are currently accessing the drugs and so many
other people are infected in Benue State - almost half of the population and we are about 5
million. At the Federal Level, they are trying to bring in drugs but at the State level, the
activists do not see anything tangible regarding the importation of drugs. The situation is
even worse in the local government. They tend to have an adamant attitude in this regard.

This, according to the activist is unfortunate because the local government is nearer to the
people. This makes it critical for them to be involved in importing drugs so that people who
are infected can access these drugs. He confirmed the fact that access to drugs for most
PLWHA is difficult and the few drugs available cost a lot. This contributes to the poor health
status of the PLWHA because they have spent their money on other needs. Consequently,

25
they cannot access this money because they are poor, they cannot get the drugs, the drugs are
scarce, money is scarce, everything is scarce so people are just dying like chicken everyday.

The activists appreciated the effort of federal government through NACA. Recently, they
have put in place a structure to actually curtail the spread of HIV among the youth, so a body
has been established at the national and all the state and all state coordinating agencies in this
regard are charged with the responsibility of having a functional body at the local government
level. The local government is also expected to go back to the community then down to the
family health and children, and so by doing benefit people at the grassroots.

In addition to the federal level, NACA is also sponsoring some NGOs that are fighting
against the spread of this virus. They are not only sponsoring state SACA, they are also
sponsoring NGO’s in Benue State. At the national level, there is a network of people living
with HIV/AIDS that have come together and help to fight in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Even
at the state level there are local networks operating.

For example, in Benue State there is a ‘Benue Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS’
(BENPLUS). Their mission is to educate people in Benue free of charge, concerning
HIV/AIDS issues, so the strategies to check the spread of the virus are in place. There are
other support groups that are part of the Benue network and their aim is to create awareness.
The activists added that the money the federal government and the state is pumping here for
the awareness and training people to create this awareness is much more than the impact it is
having on the community. This money, according to him, should be used directly for care
and support programmes. If this is done, the fight will be successful. He believed strongly
that the only way one can succeed is by involving people with HIV/AIDS and by so doing,
the spread of the disease will reduce. If there is no strong support most of the PLWHA will
hide and this will increase the spread. This money should be used to train people living with
HIV/AIDS and create awareness you will see that more people will come out.

Another effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, according to the activists, is through the
NGOs. He referred to and thanked the coordinator of a health care initiative (also present at
the discussion), because she sometimes used her money in rural areas to create awareness,
particularly on the use of condoms for sex. This view was hitherto opposed by most
Christians, but most of them advise there children to use condoms because it helps a lot in
stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Other support group members added the fact that more support groups manned by people
living with HIV/AIDS should be founded and if properly funded will achieve a lot regarding
disease control. According to her, her group has not been funded by the State but the World
Bank gave her a small grant last year and from that grant, she empowered her PMS, giving
them food that they can live and treat the opportunistic infection. If given money, she
believes she can consolidate her efforts with awareness programmes on T.V and radio.
According to international agencies, NGOs, etc should support such initiatives with
assistance and money that one can work with. This is important because being a PLM, she
needs money to look after myself and her family. If real statistics are taken in Benue State
one will find out that more than 2 people are infected per family. In her family, for example
there are 3 people infected. These include her mother, herself and the last born in the family.
She finds it difficult to help other people because of limited funds. She passes through a lot
of stress, as some friends refuse to help her. Fortunately her family members were good to
her because she was good to them too. In other words, such love and care should be

26
incorporated into these support groups. The strategy to do the work is in place but funds are
lacking. Such initiatives will encourage PLWHA who are hiding to come out and support the
cause to halt and reverse the spread of the disease.

Another respondent from a ‘Peace Healthcare Organisation Makurdi Benue’ State has a
support group of people leaving with HIV/AIDS. Under this venture and they are ready to
work so need support. As President of Network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Benue
State the network has up to 30 branches across the state with some of the local governments
in the state having more than 1 branch. Although the total number of branches is high, some
local governments in the state do not have these offices, so he appealed to philanthropists,
donors, and the government to give their network money to create this awareness ourselves.

The era that people living with HIV/AIDS cannot do anything has passed. He believed his
network can go to the grassroots and create awareness and is in the process of doing just that.
This explains why a lot of PLWHA are coming out. When they started the network it was
only a small office on the ground. He also appealed for financial assistance to start a
practical centre in Benue State. His personal 6 months training in this regard is not being
utilized because of lack of funds. He desired a resort centre that can give information, a
friendly centre to encourage more PLWHA to come out. According to him, care and support
is the desire of these people, if these people come out and they are tested HIV positive and
they lack the requisite care, they will hide themselves and spread the disease. Such care and
support should include reading books, radio and television programmes to benefit
surrounding rural areas that lack such services. This will also reduce the prevalence of AIDS
orphans and the level of dependence of the people on government in this regard.

G. Care and Support Services For PLWHA

The respondents believed that the availability of antiretroviral drugs is the most important
support mechanism for PLWHA. They wanted the price of drugs reduced further to ensure
affordability for anyone who needs it.

At this point in time, drugs are available but are very expensive. Availability of the drugs
and regular use by PLWHA would greatly reduce the effects of the symptoms of the disease.
I will like to ask everybody present what do you think can specifically be done to help
prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS what specific effort can be done to help stop the spread.

The respondents appreciated the efforts of the local support groups because of their love, care
and resources they could obtain from them to improve their quality of life. This includes
awareness and education programmes about the disease, resources to have a balanced diet
and an improvement in their self-esteem and sense of self worth. These support groups, if
encouraged will greatly reduce the spread of the disease. In addition, they wanted family
members and friends to encourage PLWHA.

Regarding the government, they wanted them to assist the associations of PLWHA
manufacture the drugs locally and not buying them at exorbitant rates. Parents could
encourage the training of their children in manufacturing drugs. They also wanted Voluntary
Counselling and Testing to be cheaper to encourage people to test for the disease.

27
4. CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING
WITH HIV/AIDS
A. Availability Of Drugs

HIV/AIDS drugs appear to be generally available to people living with AIDS (PLWHA), as
all the respondents were able to obtain their drugs. However, the majority of stakeholders are
of the opinion that HIV/AIDS drugs are not widely available. This is perhaps the case as
HIV/AIDS drugs at subsidized costs are accessible at only two locations, namely, the Federal
Medical Centre Makurdi (FMC) and the Catholic Mission Hospital Makurdi.

According to stakeholders on whether distribution of HIV/aids drugs is effective, a good

number of the respondents were uncomfortable with the distribution of drugs. As shown on
table 4.10, 85% of them expressed ineffective distribution, with just 10% assessing the
distribution as being effective. The remaining respondents did not know. Similar trends
were experienced as regards the adequacy and equity of drugs distribution. Virtually all the
respondents (9%) said the drugs are not adequate and not equitably distributed.

B. Affordability of HIV/AIDS Drugs

HIV/AIDS drugs do not appear to be generally affordable, although the cost of drugs is being
subsidized by the State Government. According to PLWHA on the type of support needed, a
significant number of both unemployed and employed PLWHA are in need of cheaper drugs.
As shown on table 4.20, 80.3% of unemployed PLWHA are in need of cheaper drugs, while
90.8% of employed PLWHA are also in need of cheaper drugs. This suggests that although
the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs is being subsidized by the State Government, PLWHA regard
the drugs as being unaffordable.

C. Level of Dependence of PLWHA on Relatives

In assessing the PLWHA’ level of dependence on their relatives etc, PLWHA have been
categorized as unemployed and employed in order to identify some patterns. We begin with
the employed PLWHA and their sources of help. The number of employed PLWHA is 98.

Table a: Employed PLWHA and Sources of Help

Sources of Help Frequency Percent

Financial Donations 31 31.6
Credits 7 7.1
Others 9 9.1
Source: Field survey(2005)

Table 4.30 shows that among sources of help, Financial Donations is highest (31.6%)
followed by others (9.1%) and credits (7.1%).

Table b: Unemployed PLWHA and Sources of Help

Sources of Help Frequency Percent
Financial Donations 30 53.5
Credits 5 8.9

28
Others 4 7.1
Source: Field survey (2005)

Table b shows that among Sources of Help, Financial Donations is highest (53.5%) followed
by credits (8.9%) and others (7.1%).

Tables a and b show that the number of unemployed PLWHA receiving financial donation is
more than that of employed PLWHA, 53% against 31.6%. This result is normal, as one
would expect unemployed people to receive more financial donations than employed ones.
We also see that the number of unemployed who obtain credits is slightly more than that of
employed PLWHA - 8.9% against 7.1%.

A different trend was observed with regards to others sources of help, as employed PLWHA
receive more help than unemployed PLWHA, which naturally ought to be the other way
round, except in extraordinary circumstances.

We now consider specific sources of help for the PLWHA

D. Helpers of Respondents

Table c Employed PLWHA and Helpers of Respondents

Helper of Respondent Frequency Percent
Friends 16 16.3
Relatives 45 45.9
CBOs and Missions 9 9.1
Clubs and Society 4 4.0
Others 1 1.0
Source: Field survey (2005)

Table c shows that 45.9% among the help of respondents comes from Relatives, the highest,
followed by Friends (16.3%), CBOs and Missions (9.1%), clubs and society (4%) and others
(1%). These figures are fairly normal (expected) as one’s relatives are particularly disposed
to offering help than friends. Also, CBOs and Missions ranked higher than Club and
Societies, especially as CBOs and Mission are devoted to assisting PLWHA more than clubs
and societies.

Table d Relatives who Consider the Unemployed PLWHA and their Helpers

Unemployed PLWHA and their Helpers

Helper of Respondent Frequency Percent
Friends 10 17.8
Relatives 39 69.6
CBOs and Missions 9 16
Clubs and Society - -
Others 2 3.5
Source: Fieldsurvey(2005)

Table d shows that among the helpers of respondents, relatives rank highest (69.6%),
followed by friends (17.8%), CBOs and Missions (16%) and others (3.5%). PLWHA receive

29
no help from clubs and society. This perhaps may be due to the financial implications of
joining such clubs and society or discrimination against PLWHA.

In comparing both categories of PLWHA, it is clear that 69.6% of unemployed PLWHA

receive help from relatives as against 45.9% of employed PLWHA. This is quite normal, as
unemployed people tend to receive more sympathy from well meaning people. On the other
hand, unemployed people tend to seek for help more than employed people. Again, 12.8% of
employed PLWHA receive help from their friends as against 16.3% of unemployed PLWHA.
This implies that unemployed people tend to receive help from their friends more than
employed people.

Sixteen percent (16%) of unemployed PLWHA receive help from CBOs and Mission as
against 9.1% of employed PLWHA. This is normal as institutions particularly disposed to
helping PLWHA would give more consideration to the unemployed than the employed. On
the other hand, unemployed people tend to seek for help from institutions particularly
disposed to helping the less privileged. Again, more unemployed PLWHA receive help from
others more than employed people.

E. PLWHA and Support Groups

Again, we determine below how dependent PLWHA are on support groups.

Table e Employed PLWHA Support Groups

Frequency Percent
Share experiences with other PLWHA 24 24.4
Moral Support/Counselling 27 27.5
Receive basic needs e.g food 4 4
Govt Aid, Get drugs 4 4
Source: Field survey (2005)

From the above table, 4% of employed PLWHA receive basic needs, e.g food from PLWHA
support groups. Again, 4% belong to PLWHA support groups to receive Government Aid
and Medicines. This result corresponds with the number of PLWHA receiving help from
relatives; in that, most of the PLWHA would have received their basic needs, such as food,
and clothing from their relatives and friends. Again, the number of employed PLWHA
receiving Government Aid and Medicines from support group exceeds the unemployed
PLWHA.

Table f Unemployed PLWHA Support Groups

Frequency Percent
Share experiences with other PLWHA 13 23.2
Moral Support/Counselling 16 28.5
Receive basic needs e.g food 2 3.5
Govt Aid, Get drugs 2 3.5
Source: Field survey(2005)

From the above table, 3.5% of unemployed PLWHA receive basic needs such as food from
PLWHA support groups. This is to be expected, given than most of PLWHA would have
received their basic needs such as food from relatives and friends. Again, 35% of
unemployed PLWHA receive government Aid and get drugs from PLWHA support groups.

30
This too is expected, as most of the Government Aid and drugs would have been allocated to
the hospitals and medical centres.

In comparison, there is only a slight difference of 0.5% between unemployed PLWHA and
employed PLWHA in the level of basic needs and Government Aid/drugs they receive at the
PLWHA Support groups.

The low number of PLWHA attending supports groups may largely be due to ignorance, as
overall, the level of dependency on PLWHA support group of both unemployed PLWHA and
employed PLWHA is low. Thirty nine point eight (39.8%) of respondents are either ignorant
or unaware of PLWHA support groups and 3% of respondents say their homes are too
distant, while 1% give other reasons.

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5. SOCIAL PROBLEMS FACING PLWHA
A. Stigmatization

Stigmatization is quite a problem for PLWHA as 42.4% say that they have experienced
stigmatization at one time or the other on account of their HIV/AIDS status. PLWHA
experience stigmatization from members of society who feel that their life or interests may be
threatened by the disease, such as employers of labour, friends, colleagues and even family
members. This implies that PLWHA are denied access to people they are ordinarily entitled
to and are essential for their existence. Thus, stigmatization is a significant problem for
PLWHA.

Stigmatization among PLWHA appears to be evenly spread. According to the PLWHA,

42.4% say that they have experienced stigmatization, while 46.1% of respondents say that
they have not experienced stigmatization. It is encouraging to note that the PLWHA who
have not experienced stigmatization is the highest among the categories.

In what follows, we examine the types of stigmatization experienced by PLWHA in order of

illiteracy.

B. Types of Stigmatization Respondents Experience

Discrimination at place of work comes next, as 26% of PLWHA say that they have
experienced discrimination at their place of work. According to PLWHA 14.5% say that they
have experienced stigmatization from colleagues, while 9.5% say that they have experienced
stigmatization from their employers. This figure suggests that it might have been the fear of
contracting the disease on the part of colleagues and employers. Also, it might have been an
attempt by employers to use discrimination to frustrate them out of their jobs, because of
concern that their productively may decline and that they may eventually lose them to death.
Denial of social support is highest with 30% of respondents who said they have experienced
this form of stigmatization. For unemployed PLWHA, this denial of social support such as
loans, credit etc may have occurred at their clubs and societies to which they belong. Table
5.11 below shows this information.

Table g Sources of Help for Unemployed

Frequency Percent
Financial donations 30 53.5
Credit 5 8.9
Others 4 7.1

Unemployed and Helper of Respondents

Frequency Percent
Friends 10 17.8
Relatives 39 69.6
CBOs and Missions 9 16
Clubs and Society - -
Others 2 3.5
Source: Field survey (2005)

32
From table above, (sources of help); financial donations is the largest source of help for
PLWHA. Credits and other sources of help are insignificant. Furthermore, according to the
table, unemployed PLWHA do not receive any help from clubs and society. This is perhaps
the denial of social support in the form loans and credit, which they ordinarily ought to be
entitled to, but given their uncertain health status are being denied.

Table h Source of Stigmatization of PLWHA

Frequency Percent
Family members 19 18.4
Friends 25 24.2
Neighbours 34 33
Employers 10 9.7
Colleagues 15 14.5
Source: Field survey (2005)

From table h, the highest number of stigmatization cases is from neighbours. This is quite
understandable, as people who live close to PLWHA tend to fear contracting the disease
more than others.

The second largest number of cases of stigmatization is from friends. This is quite odd, as
friends ordinarily ought to be sympathetic. However, the tendency for friends tend to hitherto
come in close contact with their PLWHA friends in way that makes them vulnerable to
contracting the disease, may explain the relatively large figure.

The third largest of number is from families. This is rather unfortunate that stigmatization
would come from members of their families. However, close family members are quite
vulnerable to contracting the disease given the fact that they tend to interact with PLWHA in
particularly closer ways than others.

The stigmatization from colleagues comes next, with 14% of PLWHA stating that they have
experienced stigmatization from colleagues. This also is quite natural as those who are often
close to PLWHA, in this case colleagues tend to stigmatize PLWHA as to keep them away.

Stigmatization from employers is lowest (9.7%). This number suggests that employers are
indifferent as to whether employees are PLWHA. This is likely to be the case with
employment in which employers are not responsible for the health of their employees or in a
situation where the supply of labour is relatively available.

C. Social / Psychological Discrimination

Discrimination from Health Workers and Hospitals

HIV/AIDS patients experience discrimination from health workers and hospitals. According
to stakeholders on whether health workers and hospitals discriminate against HIV/AIDS
patients, a fair number of respondents are uncomfortable with the manner in which
HIV/AIDS patients are being treated. As shown on table h, 40% of respondents express
displeasure with discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients. An almost similar number
(42.5%) however, are of the opinion that HIV/AIDS patients experience no discrimination.
The balance (10%) says that they don’t know.

33
Discrimination at the Workplace
On whether PLWHA experience discrimination at their place of work, an insignificant 26%
of them responded ‘Yes’.

Discrimination against unemployed PLWHA

On whether PLWHA experience discrimination in their search for employment an
insignificant 3.6% of them claim they are unemployed on account of their HIV/AIDS status.

Discrimination by Clubs and Societies

From tables above, unemployed PLWHA do not receive any financial support such as loans,
credits etc from clubs and societies. This is perhaps due to their unemployment status.

D. Social Life of PLWHA

PLWHA appear to be quite social based on the information from the table below.

Table i Social Life of PLWHA

Frequency Percent
Club 35 21.2
Parties 16 8.5
Village Meetings 61 37.0
Other Activities 3 1.8
Source: Field survey (2005)

According to PLWHA on the social outings they attend, a village meeting is highest with
37% of respondents who say they still attend village meetings. This is followed by 21.2% of
respondents who belong to clubs, and then by 8.5% of respondents who attend parties and
lastly by 1.8% of them who engage in other such activities. The results suggest that
respondents are still social, but this might be as far as seeking support is concerned,
considering that very few of them attend parties. It further suggests that social associations
such as clubs and villages meetings do not discriminate against PLWHA. The PLWHA do
not experience discrimination from clubs and village meetings. However, the PLWHA,
particularly the unemployed seem to experience discrimination with regards to the credit and
loan facilities of their clubs and societies.

E. Care and Support Programmes For PLWHA

Care and Support Programmes for PLWHA are undertaken by the Government, through its
agencies such as private institutions such as missions and non-governmental organization
(NGOs). The outlets for these care and support programmes include hospitals, medical
centres, support groups and etc.

Assessment of the State of Care and Support Programmes for PLWHA

In this section, we assess the care and support programmes in the PLWA support groups. We
also assess the PLWHA needs and the opinion of stakeholders on care and support
programmes so as to enable us have a broad picture of the care and support programmes for
PLWHA.

34
Assessment of the state of care and support programmes for PLWHA by Stakeholders

According to stakeholders on whether HIV/AIDS prevention programme for women and

children and students have been quite encouraging at all levels of governance, respondents
are almost evenly split. In this regard, 42.5% express satisfaction with the programmes,
while 45% express dissatisfaction with the programme. The balance (12.5%) do not know.

However as regards the adequacy of care and support programmes in Government hospitals,
a good member of respondents are uncomfortable with the provision of care and support
programmes. In this regard, 72.5% of stakeholders express dissatisfaction with the provision
of care and support programmes have been adequate. The remaining 10% did not know.

Care and Support Programmes in PLWHA Group

PLWHA receive moral support and counselling as well as setting an opportunity to share
their experiences with other PLWHA and receive basic needs such as food, clothing and
Government Aid, as well as medicines.

Among both unemployed and employed PLWHA they received more moral support and
counselling as well as the opportunity to share their experiences with other PLWHA than
receiving basic needs such as food, clothing and Government Aid. As shown in tables below,
23% of unemployed PLWHA set the opportunity to share their experience with other
PLWHA. Also, 28.5% of unemployed PLWHA receive moral support and counselling. For
basic needs, 3.5% of unemployed PLWHA receive basic needs, e.g. food, government aid
and drugs.

For the unemployed PLWHA, the tables below show that a fair number of PLWHA (24%)
get the opportunity to share their experiences with one another and also receive moral support
and counselling (27.5%), while an insignificant number receive basic needs, e.g. (4%) and
government aid and medicines (4%). Moreover the number of PLWHA receiving help from
support groups is low, because 39.8% of respondents are either ignorant or unaware of
PLWHA support groups.

PLWHA Needs

In this section, the needs of respondents are assessed in order to have an idea of how well the
care and support programmes are performing and perhaps how much they need to improve.
In what follows, the needs of both unemployed and employed PLWHA are discussed in order
of hierarchy.

Table j Employed PLWHA and Needs

Frequency Percent
Cheaper Drugs 89 90.8
Better Clinical Services 14 14.2
Basic needs 28 28.5
Employment 13 13.2
Available Drugs 13 13.2
Financial Assistance 22 22.4
Awareness/education to reduce 1 1

35
stigmatization of PLWHA
Source: Field survey (2005)

According to PLWHA on the type of support needed, a good number of respondents are in
need of cheaper drugs (90.8%). This figure is high and suggests that existing care and
support programmes have made little impact regarding drug availability for PLWHA.
However, with regards to clinical services, 14.2% of PLWHA are in need of better clinical
services. This figure is quite low and suggests that clinical services are quite adequate.

A similar trend is observed with regards to available drugs with 13.2% of PLWHA in need of
available drugs. This figure suggests that HIV/AIDS drugs might be available.

In terms of ‘Basic needs’, a fair number of PLWHA (25.5%) are in need basic needs such as
food and clothing. This is an insignificant number. An almost similar trend is observed with
regard to financial assistance, as 22.4% of unemployed PLWHA are in need of financial
assistance.

Awareness education to reduce stigmatisation of PLWHA – an insignificant number of

PLWHA (1%) are in need of awareness/education to reduce stigmatization of PLWHA. This
figure is insignificant and suggests that existing programmes on awareness/education of
HIV/AIDS to reduce stigmatisation are adequate.

Table k Unemployed PLWHA and Needs

Frequency Percent
Cheaper Drugs 45 80.3
Better Clinical Services 4 7.1
Basic needs 17 30.3
Employment 18 32.1
Available Drugs 13 23.2
Financial Assistance 19 33.9
Awareness/education to reduce 2 3.5
stigmatization of PLWHA
Source: Field survey (2005)

Table k shows that 80.3% of PLWHA are in need of cheaper drugs. This figure is significant.
It suggests that care and support programmes have made little impact regarding the
availability of drugs for PLWHA.

An insignificant number of respondents are in need of better clinical services (7.1%). This
figure is insignificant. It suggests that care and support programmes have made much impact
with regard to clinical services.

Next in the ranking of needs of unemployed PLWHA is basic needs. From tables j and k,
30.3% of PLWHA are in need of basic needs such as food and clothing. This figure is
significant given that 69.6% of unemployed PLWHA receive help from relatives. This
suggests that 30.3% could not receive any help from their relatives. Furthermore, it suggests
that care and support programmes have not made much impact in the provision of basic
needs. Next in the hierarchy of needs is unemployment, as 32.1% of PLWHA are in need of
employment.

36
Table l Unemployed PLWHA and Support Groups
Frequency Percent
Share experiences with other 13 23.2
PLWHA
Moral Support/Counselling 16 28.5
Receive basic needs, e.g. 2 3.5
food
Govt Aid, Get drugs 2 3.5
Source: Field survey (2005)

From table l, an insignificant number of PLWHA receive basic needs, Government Aid and
get drugs from PLWHA support groups. The table shows that 3.5% of unemployed PLWHA
receive basic needs such as food from PLWHA support groups. This figure is not surprising
however, given that most PLWHA would have their basic needs from relatives and friends.
Similarly, 3.5% are unemployed. PLWHA receive Government Aid and get drugs from
PLWHA support groups. Also, this figure is to be expected as most of the government Aid
and drugs would have been allocated to the hospitals and medical centres.

In comparing both unemployed and employed categories of PLWHA, it is clear that there is
only a slight difference of 0.5% between unemployed PLWHA and employed PLWHA, the
level of basic needs and government Aid/drugs that they receive from support groups.

Overall, the level of dependence of PLWHA on support groups is low. However, this low
number of PLWHA attending support groups may largely be due to ignorance of PLWHA
support groups on the part of PLWHA. According to PLWHA on why they don’t attend
support groups, 39.8% of respondents are either ignorant or unaware of PLWHA support
groups. Also an insignificant 3% of them say that their homes are too distant from these
groups. The remaining respondents give no reason (1%).

Next we compare the opinion of stakeholders with PLWHA in order to get an accurate
picture of the state of care and support programmes. The tables above shows that 95% of
stakeholders are of the opinion that there is inadequacy of drugs. However, both employed
and unemployed PLWHA say that they are in need of cheaper drugs, 90.8% and 80.3%
respectively.

With regards to clinical services, there is a contradiction in that 72.5% of stakeholders are of
the opinion that care and support programmes at Government hospitals have been inadequate,
whereas better clinical services do not constitute much of a need for both unemployed
PLWHA and employed PLWHA, 7.1% and 14.2% respectively. On the issue of available
drugs, 35% of stakeholders are of the opinion that drugs distribution is not effective.
However 13.2% of employed PLWHA are in need of available drugs and 23.2% of
unemployed PLWHA in need of available drugs. We can conclude that drugs are fairly
available for PLWHA. In this section, we compare the opinion of unemployed PLWHA with
employed PLWHA.

From the tables above, 30% of unemployed PLWHA are in need of essential materials, such
as food and clothing. This figure is insignificant. Furthermore, 6% of unemployed PLWHA
receive basic needs from PLWHA support group while 4% of employed PLWHA receive
PLWHA for support. In conclusion, care and support programmes are perhaps focused more
on unemployed PLWHA.

37
Funding of HIV/AIDS and Support Programmes (Care and Support Programmes)
The funding of HIV/AIDS programmes appears to have been heavily funded by foreign
agencies. According to stakeholders on whether foreign agencies dominate the funding of
HIV/AIDS prevention, control and cure in Makurdi, a significant number of respondents
expressed the view that foreign agencies dominate the funding of care and support
programmes. Among the findings, 67% of them subscribe to this view, while 20% of them
believe otherwise. The balances (12.5%) say that do not know. Obviously, this reveals that
Governments at all levels have not quite lived up to their responsibility. According to
stakeholders, Government action on AIDS is mere window dressing to attract international
donations.

Next, we consider the performance of the various government action committees on AIDs, in
order to get further insight on Government care and support programmes. On whether the
state Government is contributing enough towards the care of HIV/AIDS patients, a number of
respondents (42.5%) expressed displeasure with Governments’ contributions, while 37.5%
believe that government is contributing to the care of HIV/AIDS patients. The remaining
20% say do not know. Also, according to stakeholders on whether local governments have
been forthcoming in the funding of HIV/AIDS prevention, 45% of respondents do not believe
that local governments have been forthcoming in funding, while 32.5% think otherwise. The
remaining (22.5%) do not know.

This is quite unfortunate for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Benue State. At the National
level, the National Action Committee on AIDS seems to have been functioning well in the
prevention, cure and control of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi. A good number of respondents (50%)
are of this view, 35% of them express dissatisfaction with NACAs performance. The
remaining 17.5% do not know. Also, NACA seems to have been having an impact on the
reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, as 60% of respondents express satisfaction with NACAs
efforts at reducing HIV/AIDS, while 17.5% think otherwise. The remaining 22.5% are split
about NACA’S activity.

At the state level, the State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA) seems to have been
performing well. On whether SACA has been functioning well in the prevention/cure and
control of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, 60% of respondents express satisfaction with SACAS
activities, while 10% are of the opinion that SACA is not functioning well. The remaining
(20%) are divided on the issue.

Also SACA seems to be having an impact on the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, as a

sizeable number of respondents (62.5%) are of the opinion that SACA is having an impact in
the reduction of HIV/AIDS, while 20% think differently. The remaining 17.5% do not know.

At the local level, however, the local action committee on HIV/AIDS seems not to have
performed well. On whether the Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) is functioning
well in the prevention/care and control of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi as shown on, 47.5% of
respondents express dissatisfaction with LACAs performance, while 22.5% think LACA is
functioning well. The remaining 30% do not know. Also, LACA seems not to be having an
impact on the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi. A sizeable number of respondents (60%)
are of the opinion that LACA is not having an impact, 27.5% think LACA is having an
impact. The remaining 12.5% do not know.

38
In conclusion, the efforts of the Local Action Committee on aids at combating HIV/AIDS is
not effective. This perhaps due to the lack of funding on the part of the local government.
Furthermore, the results suggest that there is some foreign funding of care and support
programmes at the National and State Government levels. Funds appear to have been
concentrated at the State and National level of Action because of the heavy responsibilities of
providing as well as subsidizing drugs.

39
6. HIV/AIDS AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN MAKURDI
The local government has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS through such
agencies as LACA. However, LACA does not seem to be effective in tackling the
HIV/AIDS scourge. According to stakeholders on whether LACA has been functioning well
in the prevention/cure and control of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, 22.5% are of the opinion that
LACA has been functioning well, while 47.5% are of the opinion that LACA has not been
functioning well. The remaining did not express an opinion. Also, on whether LACA is
having an impact on the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi 30% are of the opinion that
LACA is having an impact, 40% are of the opinion that LACA is not having an impact. The
remaining 30% did not express an opinion.

However, it appears that lack of funding may have been responsible for the poor performance
of LACA. According to stakeholders on whether the Local Government has been
forthcoming in the funding of HIV/AIDS prevention, 45% of them are of the opinion that the
local government has not been forthcoming, 32.5% are of the opinion that the local
government has been forthcoming. The remaining do not express an opinion (22.5%).
Furthermore, there appears to have been heavy funding from foreign agencies but it does not
seem to have reached LACA. A good number are of the opinion that foreign agencies
dominate funding (67.5%) while 20% are of the opinion that foreign agencies do not
dominate funding. The remaining 12.5% did not express an opinion.

However, funding seems to have been reached other agencies such as NACA and SACA as
they appear to have performed well in the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to
stakeholders on whether the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) has been
functioning well in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, 29% of them express satisfaction with the
activities of NACA in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, while 7% express dissatisfaction with
NACAs activities. The remaining 4% do not express an opinion. Also, on whether NACA is
having an impact in the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, 60% of them are of the opinion
that NACA is having an impact while 17.5% are of the opinion that NACA is not having an
impact. The remaining 22.5% do not express an opinion.

According to stakeholders on whether the State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA) has
been functioning well in the prevention/cure and control of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, 60% of
them are of the opinion that SACA has been functioning well, while 20% are of the opinion
that SACA has not been functioning well. The remaining 20% do not express an opinion.
Also, on whether SACA is having an impact on the reduction of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi,
62.5% of them are of the opinion that SACA is not having an impact. The remaining 17.5%
of them do not express an opinion. Although we do not have information on the funding
disbursement of the foreign agencies, we can conclude that the funding reached the NACA
and SACA.

40
7. SUMMARY AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
The city of Makurdi can be classified as an ‘AIDS endemic zone’ of Nigeria and requires
urgent policy initiatives to reduce the impact and spread of the disease in Benue State. To
achieve the Millennium Declaration on HIV/AIDS, which seeks to halt and reverse the spread
of the disease, such policy initiatives entail the use of practical, result-oriented strategies
agreed upon by all stakeholders in this regard. This includes the PLWHA and their local
support groups, networks and associations, non-governmental organizations, government
institutions, the media representatives etc.

In this regard, the following policy recommendations are made:

1) The political will is in existence to act decisively, to prevent the further spread of
HIV/AIDS and to mitigate its impact. But efforts on the ground are too limited to
make positive and meaningful impacts on the lives of PLWHA. Political will needs
to be strengthened to address these limitations. Stakeholders need to be sensitized
about the impact of HIV/AIDS on human lives and livelihoods, and advocacy needs
to take place, to mobilize resources and efforts to address the spread of the epidemic.

2) As a follow-up to the previous point, the Makurdi Local Government requires the
most urgent attention, in terms of capacity building to implement HIV/AIDS
programmes to benefit the PLWHA. Such capacity building initiatives should include
mini-consultations to sensitize them about achieving the MDG on AIDS, the city
consultation forum proper and their involvement and follow-up proactive engagement
on issues relating to fund- raising, networking with other stakeholders etc.

3) Policy actions are needed, not only on awareness programmes, but also more in the
area of infection prevention and the strengthening of care and support to PLWHA and
caregivers. Efforts must be intensified on mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS.

4) There is an urgent need to give much more attention to appropriate prevention

measures in all cities and communities, with particular focus on high risk groups, that
is, the youths and others affected by poverty and inequality, which enhance
susceptibility to infection.

5) AIDS is still a highly stigmatized disease in Benue State. As a result HIV/AIDS is

not addressed as openly as it should. This affects the prevention, care and support
interventions. The stigma also prevents the collection of accurate data, on which
policies and programmes are based. Hence, policies to eradicate stigmatization must
be put in place and intensified across the federation.

6) With regards to care and support, the challenge here is how best to assist and
strengthen local support networks, to ensure their effectiveness without the
corresponding personnel being overwhelmed. Support must build on local initiatives
and existing safety nets, avoiding the development of external or parallel support
systems, which cannot be sustained. The PLWHA need to be empowered, provided
with employment and enough drugs to go round all the PLWHA identified in the
community.
7) Care and support efforts should focus directly on target groups and the most
vulnerable groups such as PLWHA, orphans, widows and elderly caregivers. PLWHA

41
 need better access to care, which improves their health, quality of life and survival.
Caregivers and the bereaved need to be economically engaged, financially
empowered, given socio-psychological counselling and other types of support. Home-
based care needs to be strengthened to prevent existing safety nets from collapsing
and to improve the quality of care. There is an urgent need to strengthen the
involvement of the civil society organizations in providing care and support.

REFERENCES
Abiona, B.T.A (2001) ‘Female Adolescent Perception of sexual behaviours and the risks, involved
in 2 selected secondary schools in Bayelsa State’,A thesis in Bachelor of Science in Nursing,
University of Ibadan.

Bujra, J and Baylies, C(2000)’ Responses to the AIDS epidemic in Tanzania and Zambia.’, AIDS,
Sexuality and Gender in Africa – Collective strategies and struggles in Tanzania and Zambia, pp25-
59, Routledge Publishers, London.

BNARDA/DFID 2004 ‘Impact of AIDS on Rural Livelihoods in Benue State’, Nigeria Implications
for Policymakers.

Baylies,C , Bujra, J (2000) J ‘ReF AIDS in Kunyama: Contested sexual practice and the gendered
dynamics of community interventions’ in AIDs, sexuality and Gender in Africa Collective
Strategies and struggles in Tanzania and Zambia.with the Gender and AIDS Group London:
Routledge.

Federal Ministry of Health, Department of Public Health, National AIDS/STD Control Programme
(2001) “ A technical Report on the 2001 National HIV/Syphilis Sentinel Survey among Pregnant
Women Attending Ante-Natal Clinics in Nigeria”, in collaboration with NACA, NTLCP and DFID.

(2001b) “A technical Report on the 2001 National HIV/Syphilis Sero Prevalence Sentinel Survey
among PTB and STD patients in Nigeria”, collaboration with NACA, NTLCP and DFID.

(2002) ‘Technical report Sentinel Survey amongst Pregnant Women attending Antenatal clinics.’

(2002) ‘HIV/AIDS: What it Means for Nigeria (Background, Projections, Impact, Interventions and
POLICY)

(2004) ‘Technical Report – 2003 National HIV Sero-prevalence Survey’, Federal Ministry of Health,
Abuja.

Ibiobeleari, D.S (2004) ‘Knowledge and Attitude of student Nurses towards the care of HIV/AIDS
clients in the two schools of Nursing in Ibadan, Oyo State’, A Research Project Presented to the
Department of Nursing Faculty of Clinical Sciences and Dentistry, College of Medicine, University
of Ibadan.

Lawson, A.L (1999) ‘Women and AIDS in Africa: Sociocultural dimensions of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic, International Social Science Journal Vol, LI, No 3, pp 391-400, Blackwell Publishers,
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National Intelligence Council (2002) ‘The Next Wave of HIV/AIDS: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia,
India and China, National Intelligence for Economics and Global Issues.

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UNICEF/UNAIDS (1999). Children on the brink. A joint report on orphan estimates and program
strategies. New York

Najem G.R, Okuzu E. I(1998)’ International comparison of medical students perceptions of HIV
infection and AIDS’ Journal of the National Medical Association, 90(12):765-74, 1998 Dec
Institution, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ – New Jersey
Medical School, Newark 07103-2714 USA.

NAPEP (2002 )’Overview of Benue State’, www.napep.com

Shokunbi, W.A (2002) ‘Assessment and Management of HIV/AIDS Patients’, being the text of a
paper delivered at The 2002 National Workshop on HIV/AIDS Care: Inter-disciplinary Approach,
Dept. of Nursing University of Ibadan.

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Sikwibele, A, Shonga C, Baylies C (2000) ‘AIDS in Kapulanga, Mangu: Poverty, neglect and
gendered patterns of blame, AIDS, Sexuality and Gender in Africa, pp 60-75, Routledge Publishers,
London.

Ssengozi R. and S. Moreland (2001) “Estimating the Number of Orphans at the National and State
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43
Report of the Proceedings of

THE MAKURDI CITY

CONSULTATION

On HIV/AIDS and LOCAL

GOVERNANCE

6 – 8 April 2005

By

Ojetunde Aboyade

Development Policy Centre

Ibadan, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION

The DPC team arrived in Makurdi on the evening of Sunday 3 April 2005. For the next two
days members of the team were engaged in mobilizing stakeholders and reminding state
officials and local organizations involved. Before then, all of them had already received
invitations to the City Consultation. Handbills were also distributed among the general
population of Makurdi.

Among the officials and organizations visited during this period were Dr. Ijir, the Special
Adviser on HIV/AIDS to Governor George Akume, Dr. Jogo, Head of Clinical Services at
the Federal Medical Centre, Barrister Chagu, Chairman of Makurdi Local Government,
Honourable Iduma, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, the Special Adviser to the
Local Government Chairman on Political Affairs and Mrs. Margaret Ugo, Secretary to the
Local Government.

The team also visited Mr. Yongo and the Benue Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS,
Federal Medical Centre, Bishop Murray Catholic Mission, Mrs. Ugor and the Benue State
Action Committee on AIDS (BENSACA) Dr. Adedzwa and other officials of the
Cooperative Extension Centre (CEC) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Mr. Godwin
Tata and the Nigerian Television Authority, as well as Mrs. Akor of the Partnership for
Transforming Health Systems (PATHS)

As a result of these pre-consultation efforts, the City Consultation was very well attended by
a range of stakeholders, especially by State and Local Government officials, who stayed for
as long as the programmes lasted on each day of the City Consultation.

Opening Ceremony

The City Consultation was held at J.S. Tarka Conference Hall within the Plaza Hotel complex
in Makurdi, beginning at 10 a.m on Wednesday 6 April 2005. Eighty five participants
registered for the City Consultation (see enclosed lists). Among the high ranking state
officials and other important stakeholders were Honourable Mike Iduma , Benue State
Commissioner for Health, Mrs. Margaret Ugo, who represented the Chairman of Makurdi
Local Government, Dr. (Mrs) Dokunmu, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre at
Makurdi, Dr. Andrea Jogo, Head of Clinical Services, Federal Medical Centre, Mrs. Ugor,
Project Leader Benue State Action Committee on AIDS (BenSACA) Mrs. Grace Wende,
Secretary of BenSACA, Rev. Tor Uja, another member of BenSACA, Mrs. Elizabeth Akor,
Programme Director Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS) and Mr.
Stephen Yongo, President of Benue Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS
(BenPPLUS).

The DPC Team was lead by Professor Bimpe Aboyade, Chairman Development Policy
Centre, who gave the keynote address. A number of goodwill messages were given orally.
The Honourable Commissioner of Health gave a goodwill message on behalf of the State
Governor Dr. George Akume who was unavoidably absent at the event due to some urgent
state matters. He remarked that his government was pleasantly surprised that a non-
governmental organization like the Development Policy Centre was organizing an event of
such magnitude, adding that it was an unusual trend based on his experience with non-
governmental organizations in the country. He added that the City Consultation was a
welcome development in Benue State. According to him, Benue State cared a lot for People
Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and was providing the requisite health services for the
prevention of AIDS. About four years ago, the infection rate in the state was very high –
16.4%, the highest in the country. It was reduced to 13%, then to 9%. The last sentinel
survey of the country in 2003 revealed a reduced infection rate. He mentioned Governor
Akume’s recent donation of N12 million to a recent State government’s AIDS intervention
programme. He wished all the participants a successful conference.

Mrs. Grace Wende of BenSACA thanked the organizers for coming to Benue State.
According to her, BenSACA’s doors were open to groups interested in impact mitigation and
alleviation of the disease’s symptom among PLWHA. In addition, BenSACA was
developing strategies to reduce the suffering of PLWHA.

Mrs. Margaret Ugo of the Makurdi Local Government welcomed all stakeholders to the City
Consultation. She was pleased that Makurdi was chosen in this regard. She informed the
gathering that Makurdi Local Government had a Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA),
adopting an inward looking methodology to cover Makurdi metropolis. LACA was
particularly interested in the socio-cultural factors spreading the disease.

Mrs. Lizzy Akor of PATHS welcomed participants to the event and gave some information
about her organization to the participants. She commended DPC for the City Consultation.
Her goodwill message was the only one written out and is included in this report (please see
Annex).

Plenary Session

After lunch break, lead papers were given by four speakers, and participants had the
opportunity to comment and ask questions on the various programmes aimed at combating
the AIDS epidemic. The papers are reproduced in this report.

Syndicated Group Discussion (Day 2)

Before the close of the first day, participants registered for the five discussion groups slated
for the following day. Their deliberations are also reproduced in this report (please see
annex).

Before the end of the day the recommendations emerging from various groups were
considered by all participants together, and the action plan was agreed upon. Members of the
implementation committee were thereafter chosen by participants.

Mini Fund Raising Event (Day 3)

One day after the two-day event of the City Consultation proper, the newly inaugurated
implementation Committee for the Action Plan, named Makurdi City Board on HIV/AIDS,
met for a mini-fund raising meeting. This was attended also by the Benue State
Commissioner of Health, Mike Iduma, a representative of Makurdi Local Government
Chairman and other special guests mobilized by the Local Government and members of the
new board.

The main objective of this meeting was to plan for the actual fund raising event that would
come up in future. Honourable Mike Iduma used the opportunity to inform participants of

2
Governor Akume’s special interest in the event of the City Consultation and of his wish to
have his government involved in future activities of the implementation committee. The
news was well received by everyone and the members of the new Board felt very encouraged.
Besides, some of the special guests made pledges of financial contributions towards the
implementation of the action plan.

Honourable Iduma assured the DPC team that a proper fund raising event would be organized
with assistance from his Ministry, to ensure that the new board has sufficient funds to
implement the action plan. The commissioner also expressed profound gratitude to the
Development Policy Centre for its initiative and concern for Makurdi and its People Living
With HIV/AIDS.

On the whole, the Makurdi City Consultation made a significant impact among State and
Local Government officials, various support groups and the generality of Makurdi people. It
also turned out to be a huge success.

3
 TOWARDS A PRO-POOR PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE IN THE
MANAGEMENT OF HIV/AIDS

Keynote Address at the Makurdi City Consultation

6 – 8 April, 2005

By

Professor Bimpe Aboyade

Chairman, Development Policy Centre, Ibadan

His excellency Dr. George Akume, the Governor of Benue State ably represented by the
Honourable Commissioner of Health Dr. Mike Iduma, and other Commissioners,
Representative of the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government; State and Local Government
Action Committees on HIV/AIDS; Representatives of the Association of People Living With
HIV/AIDS; Members of the Media; Distinguished ladies and gentlemen:

Let me first say how very delighted I am to be here in Makurdi today at the start of the City
Consultation process to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS and begin to devise the means to
reverse its spread. This is my first visit to Makurdi and since I arrive here I have been made
to feel welcome and at home.

On behalf of the Development Policy Centre, I welcome you all to the event of the City
Consultation starting today, which process will lay emphasis on pro-poor participation in
governance especially in the management of the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the local level.

What is a City Consultation?

A city consultation is a participatory event on a citywide level. It brings together

stakeholders to create a better understanding of issues, to agree on priorities and to seek local
solutions built around a broad consensus. The city consultation process supports the creation
of a platform for dialogues between local government officials and local stakeholders with
civil society.

However the city consultation is normally held, as we are doing from today, after a
preparatory phase of situational analysis and base line studies. In this wise, the Development
Policy Centre Research Team has been undertaking a reconnaissance and pilot survey of the
city of Makurdi since the beginning of the year. This has involved series of mini
consultations and discussions with a number of organizations and individuals who have
programmes and interventions aimed at combating the spread of the disease. The DPC Team
has also had extensive interactions and consultations with People Living With HIV/AIDS.

4
Among the institutions visited by the DPC team were the Federal Medical Centre, the Benue
State HIV/AIDS Development Project, the Benue State Ministry of Health, Bishop Murray
Catholic Mission, The Partnership for Transforming Health Systems, the Federal University
of Agriculture and the Nigerian Television Authorities. I wish to take this opportunity to
thank these and other organizations the DPC team interacted with, for their readiness to share
their experiences with the DPC and their receptiveness to some of the ideas from our team.
The DPC team was highly impressed by their efforts and the dedication shown by their
operatives, to the course of combating the disease. Equally commendable are the openness
and frankness exhibited by the people living with HIV/AIDS and their readiness to take their
fortune in their own hands.

The City Consultation is expected to lead into an action planning and partnership
development, and not just end as a talk shop. The City Consultation will start a process that
will enable all stakeholders to map out how they can all work together to improve on the
prevailing situation. It involves taking stock of what is already available in the locality and
mobilizing these and new opportunities in a concerted effort to achieve the set objective,
which in this case is to halt by 2015, and begin to reverse the incidence of the disease.

The Millennium Development Goals

This indeed is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which also include
the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education,
promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving
maternal health, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a partnership for
development. All these, we all agree, are interrelated in the development process, and are
achievable if they are addressed with all the seriousness they deserve.

The African Network of Urban Management Institutions (ANUMI) of which the

Development Policy Centre is a member, is working to localize the Millennium Development
Goals in Sub-Saharan Africa. ANUMI responds primarily to the needs of African local
governments and urban communities, as it engages with global development frameworks.
With regards to HIV/AIDS especially, the network continues to develop tools and
methodologies, such as the City Consultation, to support local government in the
development of strategic city action plans against HIV/AIDS.
It is widely known that Sub-Saharan Africa has been the worst affected region on the globe
by HIV/AIDS epidemic. And within Nigeria, Benue State is among the worst hit. The
survey undertaken by DPC in Makurdi confirms the fact established in other countries
ravaged by the disease that the overwhelming majority of those afflicted are young and able –
bodied people who should be producing food for the community, providing labor for
industries, manning public institutions such as the Civil Service, Banks, Schools and
Hospitals, and more importantly bringing up new generations of African leaders. [see H.E.
Janet Musereni, Fighting HIV/AIDS through Attitudinal Changes. In proceedings on an All-
Africa Conference, IFPRI, April 2004]

Creating Partnerships

Arising from the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals, it is reported that all
countries are modifying their policies and programmes to bring about the changes needed to
meet those targets. And participatory policy action has been pushed to the forefront. We
must now move from what has been termed “development-friendly rhetoric” to binding

5
documents specifying commitments, to concrete policy designs backed up by appropriate
budgetary allocations, and to implementation activities that have impact on the ground. [As
reported in IFPRI’s Essay by Joachim von Braun, M.S. Swaminathan, and Mark W.
Rosegrant. Annual Report 2003-2004].

At the same time it must be noted that lack of coordination of all initiatives and programmes
will result in a waste of all these efforts. That is why a prime objective of this City
Consultation is to create the opportunity and mechanism for all stakeholders in the fight
against HIV/AIDS to harmonise their efforts. A sense of ownership by the people of the city
of Makurdi is also important to ensure continuity and sustainability. Besides, in achieving
the Millennium Development Goals, local communities, particularly those with large
proportion of those living in poverty and/or HIV/AIDS need to be integrated fully into any
action plan by allowing them to voice out what they need and what they can do for
themselves with the assistance of the community at large. This will also ensure a shift in our
development paradigm, so we begin to think of partnerships rather than “ beneficiaries” and
the patronage that implies.

Localising the MDGs in the City of Makurdi

That is why in the programme of activities for this Makurdi City Consultation event, it is
envisaged that a concrete action plan will emerge from the discussions that will give all
stakeholders a voice and a role to play in a concerted manner in the management of
HIV/AIDS. You will notice from the programme that tomorrow, the second day of the City
Consultation, stakeholders will meet in small groups to deliberate on issues revealed in the
city profile report and contributions made by various speakers today. In these syndicate
group discussions, stakeholders will brainstorm intensively on these issues and agree on a set
of recommendations of practical strategies to achieve the United Nations Millennium
Declaration on HIV/AIDS. Representatives of each of the discussion groups will present
their findings and recommendations to all the participants as whole. The recommendations
will be subject to open debate before being ratified. This will constitute the Action Plan for
the city of Makurdi. Participants and stakeholders will then proceed to appoint from among
themselves members of a committee to implement the action plan on a continuous basis.

You will also notice from the programme that the third day is devoted to fund raising in order
to assist the take-off of the committee of stakeholders that will coordinate and operationalise
the activities agreed upon in the Action Plan. The funds so realized from community leaders
will provide resources for the newly appointed body to start in earnest the implementation of
the action plan, and thus improve participatory governance by harmonizing the views and
perspectives of participating stakeholders. This fund raising event will serve as a major
signal to all and sundry throughout the State, Country and among International Donor
Agencies that the Makurdi people are doing something to help themselves, and therefore
deserve to be further helped.

The experience of the Development Policy Centre in using the City Consultation to aid
development projects in Nigeria has been one of great success. An example which has won
international acclaim is the City Consultation on Poverty Reduction in Ijebu-Ode and its
aftermath. It has become a reference point for other cities in Nigeria wishing to tackle the
issue of poverty in their communities. There, a robust board of committed stakeholders
charged with the responsibility of implementing their community’s action plan, and working
without remuneration, has achieved enormous success since its inception in 1999. As a result

6
of their acceptance by the generality of the people of Ijebu-Ode and the benefits that have
accrued to the people through this process, the local government in the area has also benefited
in the improvement it has achieved in local governance.

It is the hope of the Development policy Centre and its ANUMI partnership that this event of
the Makurdi City Consultation will start a process that will also surpass our expectation of the
community’s achievement in combating the HIV/AIDS menace. In this, the Development
Policy Centre can be relied upon to help the Makurdi community through its implementation
committee with advice and guidance, as the Centre itself continues to draw from the pool of
experience of our partners in the African Network of Urban Management Institutions, which
are undertaking similar schemes in many other cities of the developing world, especially in
Sub-Saharan Africa. In other words, the Development Policy Centre will continue to help
build the capacity of the newly appointed body in achieving its target.

Above all, this City Consultation is to emphasis the role of everyone in the community in the
struggle against HIV/AIDS. With regard to prevention, and in the absence of any known
cure for now, there have to be attitudinal and behavioural changes on the part of the
generality of the people. There has to be a change from superstition to scientific fact
concerning how HIV is transmitted or contacted. There has to be a change in some of our
cultural practices, like that of the male-next-of-kin inheriting widows, and a culture that
expects only the women folk to be faithful to their partners, while it encourages or at best
turns a blind eye on the men who have multiple partners. More importantly there has to be a
change regarding the negative attitude of people to those among them who are infected.

In conclusion, I wish to thank His Excellency Dr. George Akume for his support and
commitment to this course of action. Once again I thank and congratulate all organizations
and individuals who have put in so much effort into combating this dreaded disease.
Although a special vote of thanks will be moved later on, I wish to thank especially our host,
the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government and his council members and all those who have
come here today to participate in this event. I urge you to continue to participate fully
throughout the three days of this special event, and not just for today alone. It is my fervent
prayer that this City Consultation will usher in a new era of an overall sustainable
development for all the inhabitants of the city of Makurdi in particular, and Benue State as a
whole.

I thank you for your attention.

Bimpe Aboyade
6 April 2005

7
 Plenary Session

The following papers were given at the plenary session on the first day of the City
Consultation. These led to intensive discussions, questions and answers, among participants:

1. Review of Government Policy on HIV/AIDS in Benue State: Honourable Mike Iduma

2. Challenges facing People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA):Mr. Stephen Yongo
3. City Profile of Makurdi: Dr. Abiodun Ojoawo
4. HIV/AIDS - Achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG): Dr. Andrea Jogo

Plenary Session – Paper 1

A BRIEF REVIEW OF GOVERNMENT POLICY ON HIV/AIDS IN BENUE STATE.

PRESENTED AT THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE MAKURDI CITY
CONSULTATION PROBRAMME ORGANIZED BY THE DEVELOPMENT
POLICY CENTRE , IBADAN AT PLAZA HOTEL , MAKURDI 6TH APRIL 2005.

BY
Honourable Iduma
Commissioner for Heath
Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services

PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION

It is fair to state up front that Benue’s HIV/AIDS epidemic is characterized by one of the
most rapidly increasing rates of new HIV/AIDS cases in Nigeria. Adult HIV prevalence
increased from 1.6% in 1991 to 13.5% in 2001. In the context of Benue’s projected
population of about 4.0 million people, this is a worrisome situation.
HIV Prevalence Rate in Benue (By Year)

• 1991 1.6%
• 1993 4.7%
• 1999 16.8%
• 2001 13.5%
• 2003 9.3%
The factors contributing to the spread of HIV in Benue State include the following:

• Sexual networking practices such as polygamy

• A high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections
• Low condom use
• Poverty
• Low Literacy Levels
• Poor health status of the people
• Low (subordinate) status of women

8
 • Stigmatization and
• Denial of HIV infection risk among vulnerable groups

The impact of HIV prevalence on Benue State are:

• Increased poverty
• Decreased life expectancy
• Increased number of HIV/AIDS orphans
• Increasing number widows and widowers
• Disruption of the family social structure
• Overstraining of health institutions and systems
• Reduced School enrolment
• Increased crime rate etc

STATE’S RESPONSE / POLICY

When this administration came to power in 1999, there was a need to take a clear position on
dealing with HIV/AIDS in the state. Government was challenged by the threat HIV/AIDS
posed to the State and realised it had to develop:
(a) A strong leadership
(b) A clear strategy
(c) Effective implementation

STRONG LEADERSHIP

1) Gubernatorial trip to Uganda to learn lessons about the disease.

2) Appointment of a ‘Special Adviser on HIV/AIDS in the State
3) Setting up of a coordinating unit – BENSACA
4) Adoption of National Guidelines on HIV/AIDS
5) Production of a workplan
6) Clear Strategy (Prevention linked to care and support via VCT – Voluntary
Counselling and Testing)
7) Key activities are directed at prevention by creating awareness. This is linked to
improved care for those who are HIV positive by way of Voluntary Counselling
and Testing

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION
An HIV/AIDS Development project funded by a World Bank loan of about $5 million is very
well handled by a project development unit. An effective collaboration and coordination
network with donor agencies, missions and CBOs is being developed to handle a
comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategic plan, developed with the Federal Government

POLICY FOCUS
Government effort is now aimed at eliminating denial, stigma and discrimination by
improving care for those who are HIV positive. Encouraging early diagnosis and getting
more people to come out with the fact that they are HIV positive and that they can live with
HIV. It is clear at this state that treatment is the single short-term intervention that will make
a difference to the way the HIV/AIDS epidemic infolds in Benue State.

9
On the whole providing treatment is a direct challenge to the ignorance, denial and stigma
that have fuelled the AIDS epidemic since inception. Government is considering the
procurement of effective drugs for the State, working closely with the Federal Government
appointed Committee to assist selected states with the greatest burden, like Benue.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our government policy emphasizes prevention linked with care and support for
those who are HIV positive via Voluntary Counselling and Treatment (VCT).
• Priority activities/programmes include prevention among the youths, prevention of
mother to child transmission, high risk among individuals (sexworkers, migrant
workers, truckers, TB), STD awareness and treatment, VCT and care and support for
the infected.
• Collaboration with all those working in this sector is to be encouraged. The past
programme is under way and should be an example of a collaborative effort which is
needed to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Benue and indeed the country.

Question and Answers on Review of Government Policy on HIV/AIDS in Benue State

By Honourable Mike Iduma

Mr. Febian Toro of BENPPLUS stated that although there were several government
HIV/AIDS intervention programmes in existence, stigmatization to a large degree continues
to pose a problem towards checking the spread of the disease. He wanted an explanation in
this regard.

Another participant wanted to know if the reduction in the number of AIDS patients was as a
result of death from the disease or as a result of effective cure or anything being done by
government.

Mrs. Ritta Oparu stated that the effort of government in trying to reduce the hardship of
PLWHA, results in this regard were not forthcoming. According to her the government
should be encouraging BENPPLUS, which is more efficient in this regard.

Prof. Bimpe Aboyade wanted to know if Benue State had a poverty reduction programme as
a strategy for reducing the scourge of AIDS. Another participant anted to know what the
State Government was doing to improve access of PLWHA to Anti-Retroviral Drugs
(ARV’s).

Honorable Iduma responded by saying the State Government organized public fora and
workshops to change societal attitudes towards stigmatization associated with the disease.
He emphasized that AIDS could not be eradicated in one day – its prevention, and mitigation
is difficult because of national and international politics. The Federal Government supplied
drug subsidies in this regard for 10,000 people and the State Government could not influence
the former to increase it. Benue State is currently receiving drugs for 8,000 people. He
added that pharmaceutical companies produced ARV drugs at prohibitive costs. Future
arrangements between the Benue State Government and pharmaceutical companies will make
more drugs available in the future. The State Government was in the process of
industrializing the state to create employment, as a strategy for improving the lot of AIDS
patients. As part of its ‘Poverty Alleviation Strategy’, the State Government purchased

10
motorcycles to distribute to unemployed people for the latter’s use as taxis, in a bid to
generating income for them.

Follow-up contributions to Honourable Iduma’s presentation came from Reverend Uja and
Dr. Utor of the Department of clinical services at the Benue State Ministry of Health.
Reverend Uja stated that the strategies of government to aid support groups would be brought
out more effectively during the syndicate group discussions. He added that BENSACA has
been able to buy ARV’s for other local governments in the state like Otukpo and Gboko. The
latter was to serve as receiving centers for ARV’s. According to Reverend Uja, Benue State
is to administer 50 ARV’s for every local government in the state. The State Government
recently passed a law protecting the rights of PLWHA. More work needed to be done
concerning societal awareness about the disease.

Dr. Utor stressed that the government must accept that treatment is the most important short
term intervention AIDS programme. According to him, some progress has been made over
the years concerning stigmatization, but more work needed to be done.

Plenary Session – Paper 2

CHALLENGES FACING PLWHA : A Paper Presented on the Occasion of The

Makurdi City Consultation Forum organised by DPC , Ibadan

By
Stephen Yongo

Like any other person, the challenges facing PLWHA are similar. The peculiarity of these
challenges is the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS - People viewing HIV/AIDS as a moral issue
instead of a social or public issue. It this perception is reversed and HIV/AIDS normalized
into one of the concerns of the public health sector, these challenges could be averted.

Ordinarily, bearing one another’s burden is what Jesus Christ taught his apostles. The greatest
commandment when he was asked to identify out of the ten by his apostles, he summarized it
as love your neighbour as yourself. This if practiced by all, will ensure nobody suffers
humiliation of any kind.

The following are the challenges facing PLWHA:

• Emptiness: Most PLWHA feel they are empty vessels immediately they have been
diagnosed as being HIV positive. A feeling that they have nothing to offer to the
society makes them empty and useless. They become challenged and develop an
inferiority complex, which worsens their condition. They become helpless.

• Absence of Counseling: Most PLWHA who know their status were not given pre-test
counseling. As a result, they were not prepared psychologically. This affects the
psychological well being of the PLWHA, thereby leading to depression. Counseling
is an important thing to the PLWHA. With counseling, which is supposed to be an
on-going process, PLWHA gain and demonstrate courage. Lack of counseling
services in our hospitals is greatly affecting PLWHA. Even those hospitals that have

11
 trained counselors do not offer appropriate counseling services and are not committed
to duty.

• Lack of Family Support: Experience has shown that some family members abandon
and sometimes isolate PLWHA on the ground that they have tested positive to HIV.
This is due largely to ignorance and lack of awareness in our families. Such utterance
leads to suspicion and the PLWHA becomes an object of gossip. This eventually
leads to the untimely death of most PLWHA. In some communities in Benue State,
talking about HIV is taboo, there is more talk of one testing positive. Such persons
tend to believe that it is better to die than to live. Little or no family support to give
hope to PLWHA in most homes.

• Poor Nutrition: Benue State being an agrarian state, most PLWHA are farmers, in this
condition, they are not strong enough to cultivate either food or cash crops. With this
constraint of less energy to farm for even subsistence status makes them malnourished
and subsequently leads to death. Good nutrition is very important for everybody,
particularly PLWHA.

• Stigma: This is one of the most subtle and debilitating challenges and the hardest
forces going against PLWHA. It inhibits open, honest communication between them
and others. Stigma makes the disclosure of the disease by PLWHA within the family
difficult. Without disclosure, prevention and care is almost impossible. Families and
communities are deeply intertwined in the African context and should therefore be
supported in preventing stigmatization, which will further enable their natural
carrying role. This will also promote better self-esteem among PLWHA with respect
to their careers. It will also eliminate the vicious cycle of self-stigmatization.

• People living with HIV/AIDS face stigma in the home, in the health care setting, in
the religious sector and the mass media. The mass media can unintentionally promote
stigma. But have potential to shape the attitude, values and perceptions of a large
number of people.

• Human Rights Violation: Existing human rights instruments confirm that

discrimination against PLWHA of those thought to be infected is a violation of their
human rights. This is a great challenge facing PLWHA.

• Discrimination: The acts of stigma constitute discrimination based on presumed or

actual HIV positive status and violate human rights. Because of the stigma associated
with HIV/AIDS and their discrimination that may follow from this, the rights of
PLWHA and their families are frequently violated. This violation of rights increases
the negative impact of the epidemic. At the individual level, for example, it causes
undue anxiety and distress-factors that are known in them to contribute to ill-health.
At the level of the family and community, it causes people to feel ashamed to conceal
their links with the epidemic and to withdraw from participation in more positive
social responses. At the level of the society as a whole, discrimination against
PLWHA reinforces the mistaken belief that such action is acceptable and that those
infected with HIV/AIDS should be ostracized and blamed. This is a great challenge
to PLWHA.

12
Around the world there have been numerous instances of such HIV/AIDS related cases of
discrimination. People with HIV or believed to have HIV/AIDS have been:

• Segregated in schools and hospitals, including under cruel and degrading conditions.
Cases of degrading treatment have often been reported in prisons where inmates are
often mandatorily confined, often without basic needs being met, including access to
medical care.

• Refused employment. An airline cabin attendant in South Africa was denied

employment based on his HIV status. Fortunately, he was able to successfully
challenge the discriminatory action in court.

• Denied the right to marry. For example, the Supreme Court in India ruled that a
person living with HIV/AIDS has no right to marry and raise a family. Furthermore,
some jurisdictions require mandatory HIV testing before granting marriage licenses.

• Required when returning to their home country to submit themselves to an HIV test.
Individuals have been denied the right to return to their country on suspicion of being
HIV-positive. Others have been denied visas or entry permission.

• Rejected by their communities. All over the world, PLWHA have been banished by
their communities. Throughout Central and Southern Africa and in South Asia, a
woman diagnosed with HIV/AIDS may be sent back to her family or village of origin
once her serostatus becomes known.

• Killed because of their seropositive status. In December, 1999, a young community

volunteer Ms Gugu Dlamini, was stoned and beaten to death by neighbours in her
township near Durban, South Africa after she had spoken our openly on World AIDS
Day about her HIV infection.

In conclusion therefore, continuing advocacy is needed for social change in response to

PLWHA challenges. All hands must be on deck to tackle the challenges facing PLWHA.
To win the war against HIV/AIDS, PLWHA must be used as agents of change in the
society.

Questions and Answers on Challenges Facing PLWHA by Mr. Stephen Yongo

Dr. Utor stated that it was interesting that most of the examples of challenges facing
PLWHA came from South Africa, whose measures regarding AIDS intervention were
being copied by other countries. He believed that BENSACA’s World Bank assisted
programme should be integrated with other initiatives to enhance the common goal of
ARV access. The first challenge was the fact that there were over 200,000 PLWHA in
the state, but government had drugs for 800 people. This point should have been included
in the paper. He added that drugs were being abused and sustainability of its usage
among PLWHA was a problem. Poverty was another problem weighing down on
PLWHA. According to him, food subsidies could be provided to PLWHA by
government through the networks because of the importance of PLWHA having a
balanced diet. Other contributions from the participants expanded the problem of poverty
and sustainability – improving the skill level of PLWHA and empowering them to make
more money. Suspect secondary data from authorities like the university was a challenge

13
facing PLWHA. For example The Benue State University recently tested its students for
HIV/AIDS, 75% of whom tested positive. Unfortunately the authorities did not inform
the students about the results. Other participants wanted PLWHA to be more involved in
policy formulation.

Mr. Yongo responded by saying all the contributions to his paper will be considered to
make it more comprehensive. He confirmed the unfortunate incident at Benue State
University that forced students to carry out tests at N600 without the latter being informed
about the results.

14
 Plenary Session – Paper 3

HIV/AIDS – ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

(MDG’S) (A Paper presented on the occasion of the Makurdi City Consultation on
HIV/AIDS)

BY
DR. ANDREA A. JOGO, MBA, FMCOG, FWACS

One of the greatest health challenges of this age is that posed by infection with the
Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV), which is the causative agent of the Acquired
Immune-Deficiency Syndrome (aids). Since the first case of AIDS was described in the
USA in 1981, the disease has spread so dramatically that it has now been diagnosed in
virtually all countries of the world.

The transmission pattern of HIV has been documented to depend on a lot of viral and host
factors which most often vary in different geographical regions. Success in reducing HIV
transmission in some communities in the developed world is being overwhelmed by
failure to prevent millions of new infections in Africa, Asia and other developing nations.

By the end of 2003, the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS globally was
estimated at 40 million. Of these, 37 million were adults and 3 million were children
below 15 years – more than 98 percent of them in developing countries. Available data
clearly indicates that Sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest brunt of the global HIV
scourge. By the end of 2003, an estimated 26.6 million (66%) of the global 40 million
people living with the virus are in sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty million adults and
children have died of the epidemic worldwide. In 2003 alone, 5 million new infections
and 3 million deaths were reported. Regrettably, 14 million orphans have emerged
globally since the beginning of the epidemic. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for three
quarters of the total global deaths from HIV/AIDS, which has become the leading cause
of death in Africa. It is responsible for one in five deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and the
average prevalence of HIV in adults aged 15 to 49 is 8.8%.

Prevention programmes for HIV/AIDS reach fewer than one in five people who need
them. Comprehensive prevention could avert 29 million of the 45 million new infections
projected by 2010. Five to six million people need HIV treatment in low and middle-
income countries, yet only 7 percent or 400,000 people had access by the end of 2003.
The youth are the most affected – more than half of those newly infected today are
between 15 and 24 years old. Women are particularly vulnerable.

In Nigeria, the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in 1986. Since then, the infection has
been subtly but progressively transmitted within various communities and population. By
the end of 1999, cases of HIV/AIDS infections had been diagnosed and reported in all the
774 local government areas (LGA’s) of the country. Indeed every Nigerian is vulnerable
to the disease. National HIV sentinel surveys show a rapid transition from near zero
prevalence in 1990 to 5.8% prevalence rate among adult population aged 15 to 49 in 2001
and now down to 5.0% in 2003.

With the estimated 3.5 million cases, Nigeria ranked second in sub-Saharan Africa and
fourth globally in the absolute number of adults living with the virus as at 2002. With

15
UNAIDS estimate of 1 million cases, Nigeria as at 2002 had the highest number of AIDS
orphans in the world.

The adverse impact of the epidemic in Nigeria is already evident. It affects the urban
elite as well as the rural poor, and generally in their most economically productive years.
Health systems and social coping mechanisms in the country are over-burdened. The
growing epidemic in the country is a challenge that will directly or indirectly affect its
economic growth and democratic governance.

Hope was however rekindled in September, 2000 when the United Nations (UN) at her
landmark Millennium Declaration unveiled an ambitious eight point blue print aimed at
improving the lives of the one billion poor people in developing countries by 2015.
Christened the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), it proposes to eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender
equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop
a global partnership for development. Millennium Development Goal 6 specifically
targets, in part, to halt and effect a reverse in the spread of HIV/AIDS by the year 2015.
Nowhere are the goals more urgent than in Africa, where progress towards achieving
them have been slowest. Whereas over the past two decades, Asia made great strides-
fuelled largely by decreasing poverty rates in China and India, the world’s most populous
countries. Africa lags far behind on every goal. According to a 3 year research carried
out by 265 of the world’s leading development experts under the aegis of the millennium
project – an independent advisory group commissioned by Koffi Annan, the number of
Africans living on less than one US-dollar a day rose from 227 million to 313 million
between 1990 and 2001. Among the many obstacles hindering its advancement, the
region suffers from the highest rates of undernourishment, lowest primary enrolment and
the most devastating HIV/AIDS incidence.

In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country the official poverty rate is 57.8% with 70
million people living on less than one US-dollar a day. The country is also home to about
10 percent of the 40 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. To date 46 percent
of women and 31 percent of men have never attended school.

A glance at the Millennium Goals leaves no one in doubt as to the synergistic effect each
goal has on the other. Attempting to achieve some of the goals in isolation may therefore
not yield the desired results. However, considering the scope of this presentation, specific
mention will now be made of combating HIV/AIDS.

HEALTH EDUCATION
The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey results indicate a need for more
public education about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. Overall, the majority of
Nigerians hold many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission, believing for
example that witchcraft can transmit the virus. Promoting abstinence and safe sex should
be sustained.

CONTROL STI’S
This can be done by promoting safe sexual habits, ensuring availability of inexpensive
condoms, as well as early diagnosis and treatment of STI’s.

16
ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SURVEILLANCE
PROGRAMMES
This would entail promoting voluntary counseling and testing of HIV/AIDS, where stand-
alone centres are more acceptable than integrated services. The collating and analyzing
of data from sentinel sites and groups to determine trends and identify high-risk groups
will form part of the programmes.

PREVENT MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION

Promoting voluntary counseling of pregnant women, preventing unwanted pregnancies in
infected persons and use of antiretroviral therapy to protect the child and care for the
mother. Prevent breast milk transmission via a policy on infant feeding on HIV infection.

PROVIDE AND MANAGE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY PROGRAMMES

High priority should be given to treatment of pregnant women and their children.
Feasible chemotherapeutic programmes should be established in view of the complexity
of the schedules, the need for close monitoring of patients including laboratory support as
well as the high cost of drugs. There should be mandatory Post Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP) for occupational exposure and sexual assault. The HIV vaccine is still in the realm
of research.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

To achieve the goals in Africa, significant investments in human resource development
are needed urgently since health services cannot function without a complement of
properly trained staff. The Joint Learning Initiative (2004) estimates that Africa now
faces a shortage of one million health workers. Pre-service and in-service training,
adequate salaries and human resource management systems are other areas one could
build Africa’s capacity to deliver health services.

CONCERTED FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL INPUT FROM DEVELOPED

COUNTRIES AND NGO’s

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 3 by 5 initiative is a promising start, aiming to

get 3 million of the world’s AIDS patients on antiretroviral treatment by 2005. But such
interventions need to be scaled up much more in the next decade to reach the 25 million
Africans currently infected with HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS 2004).

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT

The various governments in developing countries must show commitment and a strong
political will towards achieving these goals. To this end President Olusegun Obasanjo
must be commended for launching the National Antiretroviral Programme in 2001.
Under this programme, infected adults and children are treated with antiretroviral drugs at
a subsidized cost of one thousand naira only per person, per month. The initiative to scale
up the programme is equally commendable. Equally commendable are the drive for
poverty reduction and the health insurance scheme.

Although the burdens of HIV/AIDS on developing countries are enormous, employing a

multisectoral approach with a prophylactic bias towards its control may well place us on a
sound footing as we strive to achieve the laudable ideals of the Millennium Development
Goals.

17
 Questions and Answers on HIV/AIDS – Achieving The Millennium Development
Goals by Dr. Andrea Jogo

Participants wanted to know what packages the FMC had in line with Dr. Jogo’s area of
expertise in gynecology. They asked how discontinuities in the use of ARV’s built the
strength of the virus. In addition, they wanted to know why names of patients on the
‘Drug Subsidy List’ of the FMC were being arbitrarily removed and what factors
determined the placement of PLWHA on this list. They also wanted to resolve the issue
of compulsory testing for people at FMC whether they were HIV positive or not. Finally
they wanted to know if there were other drugs available to assist PLWHA in AIDS
treatment.

Dr. Jogo responded by saying the Federal Government and FMC had facilities and staff to
address cases of ‘Mother-Child’ transmission of the disease. Efforts were being made to
scale up these services. Group counseling was being given at antenatal clinics and people
could point out of testing in this regard. Counseling was available for pregnant mothers
and structures were being put in place to improve sustainability in ARV administration.
Staff changes may be responsible for administrative inefficiencies but were being
addressed.

18
 Plenary Session – Paper 4

CITY PROFILE OF HIV/AIDS IN MAKURDI

(Being Extracts from the DPC Research Report on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi)

By
DR. A .O. OJOAWO
Research Fellow
Development Policy Centre
Ibadan.

1.0 Background To The Study

One of the most devastating scourges of our time is the problem of Human
Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS). Undoubtedly HIV and AIDS present a major
challenge to human development in Nigeria. Besides poverty, no problem has given Nigeria
a daunting challenge as the present battle with HIV/AIDS. AIDS is indeed devastating
Nigerian communities and poses a real threat to poverty reduction efforts and the
achievement of the UN millennium Development Goals. Undoubtedly, HIV/AIDS present a
serious challenge to human development in Nigeria because the exact cost and spread of the
epidemic is still very difficult to calculate.

Upon noticing the scourge in 1986 with just one person affected, the infection rate has grown
exponentially since then. By June 1999, the Federal Ministry of Health (FmoH) in Nigeria
had recorded 26,276 AIDS cases. Because of the fear of social stigmatization, several cases
are not reported through the hospitals, which means, the reported cases were gross
underestimations of the rate of occurrence of the epidemic. The National AIDS/STDs
Control Programme (NASCP) of the FmoH estimates that the total cumulative number of
AIDS cases would have reached 590,000 by the end of 1999.

HIV prevalence amongst the sexually active age group of 15 – 49 years has been on the
increase since the first survey in 1991 when the national average sero-prevalence rate was
1.8% to 3.4% in 1993, 4.5% in 1995 and 5.4% in 1999, 5.8% in 2001 and 5% in 2003 (Policy
project 2003). Based on these prevalence rates, a total of 3.5 million of the estimated
national population of 120 million were estimated to be living with HIV.

Currently, Nigerian has become the first largely populated country to cross the critical
epidemiological threshold of 5%. It has since been projected that by the year 2009, in the
absence of major changes in sexual behaviour and other control measures, the number of
people living with HIV will soon reach 5 million.

Considering the global spread of the HIV/AIDS, of the 40 million people identified to be
living with the disease globally, 3.5 million are estimated to be Nigerians. This accounts for

19
10% of the 40 million people infected worldwide (UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF 2002). In a
country like Nigeria with limited public capacity and resources to combat the problem, the
prevalence is so high that the HIV virus is infecting more than 30 people a day, and the
disease is growing faster health authorities than response to it. The prevalence reports in
Nigeria revealed that there is no community in Nigeria with zero prevalence. (FmoH 1999).

Across the states, the table below also reveals that no state is an exception to the problem.
Although some parts of the country have higher prevalence rates than others, all states record
more than 1% prevalence. In 2003, prevalence rates ranged from 1.2% in Osun State to 12%
State in Cross River State. Nationally, prevalence is higher in urban than in the rural areas.
Persons between the ages of 20-29 are most affected, although in the South-south and
Southwest zones, the prevalence is highest among the 15-19 age group (.USAID, Policy
Project 2003).

The situation on the ground in Nigeria is very sobering indeed. Even with the recent drop in
the National prevalence rate from 5.8 per cent to 5 per cent. According to official statistics,
3.5 million Nigerians already live with HIV and AIDS, which is more than the entire
population of some countries. About 300,000 Nigerians die annually of AIDS-related
diseases and 1.5 million Nigerian children have been made orphans as a result of these
deaths. The fact that Nigeria’s prevalence rate is in single digits can be misleading and can
give the people a false sense of security. The real fact is that, Nigeria has the second highest
number of infections in Africa, going by the actual figures, not the percentages.

In fact, the epidemic has acquired a “Generalised” status in Nigeria, meaning that HIV and
AIDS is spreading across all geo-political zones of the country, spreading in both rural and
urban areas equally and across all segments of the population, not just confined to high-risk
groups such as commercials sex workers, homosexuals and drug users.

A more recent study by USAID in 2003 tagged “Policy Project” further reveals the terrible
situation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic along geo-political zones, the states and the profile of
the infections, and possible rate of spread in the nearest future. The table below reveals the
details along the geopolitical zones, the North Central, South South Zones are in the lead with
7.0% and 5.8% prevalence rate accordingly from 7.0% and 5.2% in 1999. And at the state
level, the spread reveals that Cross Rivers is in the lead with 12.0% followed by Benue State
in the North Central Zone with 9.3% prevalence rate.

20
 Geopolitical Distribution of HIV Prevalence in Nigeria
Population HIV Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of Number Number of
2003 Prevalen people people youth (15- youth (15- HIV+ of HIV+ people
ce (%) infected likely to be 24yrs) infected 24yrs) likely to pregnant pregnan requiring
(2003) infected by (2003) be infected women t women Antiretroviral
(2008) (2008) (2003) (2008) drugs (2003)
North Central Zone 13,894,924 7.0% 460,719 500,633 83,822 107,698 40,820 43,821 91,346
Benue 3,902,638 9.3% 238,328 212,772 29,640 45,517 21,246 18,318 53,825
FCT 526,977 8.4% 26,427 27,499 4,956 6,953 2,126 2,194 4,501
Kogi 3,044,411 5.7% 90,974 106,093 20,111 23,419 8,556 9,395 15,296
Kwara 2,194,976 2.7% 39,901 35,937 6,428 7,603 3,506 3,026 7,356
Nassara 1,712,241 6.5% 67,897 68,570 7,887 16,092 5,897 5,917 15,862
wa
Niger 3,432,980 7.0% 129,660 149,327 31,699 35,336 11,415 12,896 20,676
Plateau 2,983,339 6.3% 105,860 113,207 12,741 18,295 9,320 10,393 27,659
North East Zone 16,870,701 5.8% 498,589 550,631 102,828 127,399 44,439 47,668 84,788
Adamaw 2,979,806 7.6% 117,322 137,387 27,810 31,448 10,675 12,005 17,419
a
Bauchi 4,056,992 4.8% 127,064 127,314 22,474 27,123 11,502 10,785 18,226
Borno 3,595,100 3.2% 66,142 69,230 11,858 16,929 5,425 6,013 17,303
Gombe 2,110,953 6.8% 79,597 91,323 14,180 21,828 7,153 7,880 12,792
Taraba 2,143,617 6.0% 69,039 78,538 16,949 19,000 6,157 6,955 13,770
Yobe 1,984,233 3.8% 39,425 46,839 9,557 11,071 3,527 4,030 5,273
North West Zone 32,481,910 2.7% 726,975 762,883 135,757 184,383 63,447 65,646 140,811
Jigawa 4,076,353 2.0% 42,587 49,834 9,852 12,585 3,646 4,226 7,657
Kaduna 5,579,401 6.0% 237,248 211,354 26,142 49,110 20,368 17,917 56,406
Kano 8,237,029 4.1% 179,842 205,620 41,912 50,095 15,558 17,696 33,086
Katsina 5,320,243 2.8% 84,861 95,984 15,639 23,231 7,596 8,413 14,398
Kebbi 2,932,237 2.5% 51,768 46,092 9,723 10,724 4,540 3,971 10,227
Sokoto 3,397,878 4.5% 80,761 96,072 20,538 24,160 7,332 8,393 10,782
Zamfara 2,938,769 3.3% 49,908 57,927 11,951 14,478 4,407 5,030 8,255
South East Zone 15,272,983 4.2% 393,315 369,983 48,913 83,237 34,940 31,438 91,969
Abia 2,712,984 3.7% 64,954 77,871 13,275 17,330 6,071 6,679 10,672
Anambra 3,964,073 3.8% 107,853 92,485 15,130 20,136 9,066 7,315 23,007
Ebonyi 2,060,679 4.5% 56,422 50,769 6,939 11,885 5,160 4,508 14,420
Enugu 3,012,091 4.9% 76,860 81,998 4,629 19,095 6,719 7,258 21,494
Imo 3,523,156 3.1% 87,226 66,860 8,940 14,791 7,924 5,678 22,376
South South Zone 18,985,583 5.8% 726,324 802,554 97,792 174,843 66,167 67,871 120,239
Akwa 3,415,174 7.2% 168,862 157,240 1,742 31,415 15,401 13,434 33,042
Ibom
Bayelsa 1,590,201 4.0% 44,784 46,783 5,985 10,422 3,963 3,832 7,705
Cross 2,709,823 12.0% 171,420 204,526 39,103 46,461 16,280 17,763 20,618
Rivers
Delta 3,672,077 5.0% 97,727 113,135 17,901 25,017 8,913 9,751 19,358
Edo 3,078,963 4.3% 77,397 83,794 10,939 18,076 6,970 7,111 16,594
Rivers 4,519,345 6.6% 166,134 197,076 22,122 43,452 14,640 15,980 22,922
South West Zone 24,744,106 2.3% 546,522 510,112 86,130 91,546 43,995 38,655 104,460
Ekiti 2,177,048 2.0% 27,722 26,633 3,932 5,802 2,286 2,048 5,128
Lagos 8,116,535 4.7% 216,826 236,820 36,597 53,894 16,252 18,099 53,441
Ogun 3,308,128 1.5% 50,913 33,082 7,384 1,716 4,077 2,303 7,558
Ondo 3,188,875 2.3% 91,770 58,309 13,189 2,045 7,747 4,242 12,794
Osun 3,059,128 1.2% 55,094 30,598 7,409 1,000 5,097 2,435 9,683
Oyo 4,894,392 3.9% 104,197 124,670 17,619 27,089 8,536 9,528 15,856
126,250,207 5% 3,352,444 3,496,796 555,242 769,106 293,808 295,099 633,613

Source; USAID Policy Project 2003.

21
Based on the above-mentioned facts, all Nigerians are now at risk, where they live, no matter
their situations in life, or their sexual orientations. It is evident that things could get worse very
soon and if care is not taken, Nigeria may be one of the worst hit countries in the world.

Factors Responsible for the Spread of HIV/AIDS

The cause of the disease all over the world relates to individuals’ social behaviour such as casual
sex and intravenous drug use (FmoH 2002). In Nigeria however, the leading driving force for
the spread of the HIV infection include low level of education and a high level of ignorance,
cultural practices such as polygamy and wife hospitality, crippling poverty and lack of access to
appropriate reproductive health services and information particularly for young people. The
practice and use of traditional surgery such as uvulectomy and blood-letting procedures with
unsterilized instruments, sexual relations with traditional healers as part of treatment of infertile
women, as non observance of infection control procedures by traditional birth attendants who are
heavily patronized in Nigeria may all be implicated in the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Other factors blamed for the spread of the epidemic are cultural practices that encourage multiple
sexual partners such as concubines, Levirate, wife exchange, polygamy and wife hospitality.
This in addition to other cultural practices that expose people to unsterilised sharp objects such
as body scarification and circumcision; the subordinate roles of women and its attendant
vulnerability which prevents women from negotiating safe sex; ignorance; stigma and
discrimination. Poverty, Illiteracy and the non-challant attitude of some individuals are to some
extent also responsible for the spread of the disease.

In spite of various efforts at both domestic and international levels, Nigeria’s situation seems not
to translate to any reliable cheering news about HIV/AIDS epidemics. It is becoming more of a
developmental problem than just a narrow view of health problem. The problem should be
considered a major challenge to sustainable human development in Nigeria, which must be a
concern for all. It is against this backdrop that the present research effort was undertaken with
the hope of introducing a more pragmatic approach tagged ‘City Consultation’ that could
translate into a more sustainable effort to step down the spread and the negative impacts of
HIV/AIDS epidemic on the community of interest.

The study’s focus is presently on one of the leading states in terms of prevalence, Benue State,
the second leading State. The effort is focused on one of the Local government areas, Makurdi
Local government.

Justification For The Study

Concerns for the poor, especially people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS) in terms of socio-
psychological disturbances, discrimination, financial difficulties and other attendant problems as
a result of HIV/AIDS infection prompted this study.

This study focuses on Benue state, located in north central Nigeria. The State has a total
population of 2,780,398 (1991 census), which has been projected to 3,100,311 (1996), with an
average population density of 99 persons per Sq. Km. This makes Benue the 14th most populous
state in Nigeria. However, the distribution of the population according to LGA's shows marked
duality. There are areas of low population density, such as Guma, Gwer, Ohimini, Katsina-Ala,
Apa. Logo and Agatu, each with less than seventy persons per square kilometre. While Vandeik
22
Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Obi and Gboko have densities ranging from 140 persons to 200 persons
per square kilometer

The state’s population shows a slight imbalance in favour of the females constituting 50.2 per
cent. Benue State is one of the most under-developed states in Nigeria. This region was depleted
of its human population during the trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic slave trade. Benue State is
largely rural, with scattered settlements mainly in tiny compounds or homesteads, whose
population ranges from 6-30 people, most of whom are farmers. In the Idoma speaking part of
the state, the settlements are larger (50-200 people). (NAPEP – Overview of Benue State)

Why Benue State and Makurdi in Particular

In the 1999 and 2001 national antenatal HIV seroprevalence survey, Benue State recorded the
highest state prevalence rates in both 1999 and 2001: 16.8% in 1999 and 13.5% in 2001. The
higher prevalence rate in 1999 of 16.8% is thought to be either an overestimation due to mistakes
in the methodology or due to the large variation around the mean in the relatively small samples.
When comparing the confidence intervals of the Makurdi site for both years, they tend to
overlap.

Makurdi City. (The Study Area)

Makurdi has a projected 2005 population of 273, 724 people with 142,231 males and 129,483
females. The city has a projected Annual Population Growth Rate of 2.6% and is predominantly
populated by the Tiv ethnic group. Other minority ethnic groups in the city include the Idoma,
Jukun and Igalla. The dominant religion in the city is Christianity and the residents are mostly
farmers, civil servants and traders. The city has a well laid out and planned road network, and
maintains high environmental standards (little refuse was seen on the streets) because of the strict
enforcement of environmental legislation in the state. In general, the people are accommodating,
hospitable and friendly to visitors.

The city of Makurdi has a high incidence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It occupies the North
Central Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and is the socio-political capital of the region. While it
suffers from all the disadvantages that encourage the spread of the disease, the city is located in
an environment that engages in cultural habits that spread the disease such as traditional
circumcision, tattooing etc. Unfortunately, the location of the city places it in geographical
location where literacy rate is low and incidence of poverty very high.

Like other cities in Nigeria, the rest of the community usually ostracizes people identified as
having HIV/AIDS. Consequently, nobody will own up to being infected with the disease.
Unsuspecting sexual partners are thus easy victims. Because of the social stigma involved,
people are not ready to carry out HIV tests. Lastly for the country, not much is being done to
assist victims as well as check the spread of the epidemic. Consequently, the lives of the youths
are perpetually under the threat of HIV/AIDS. There is thus the need to bring all segments of the
people together to discuss the problem and find solutions rooted in their tradition to control the
scourge.

Objectives of the Study

23
The aim of the study is to depict a comprehensive picture of the situation of People Living With
HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the city. The objectives are as follows:

1. Conduct desk reviews of HIV/AIDS studies.

2. Conduct a reconnaissance survey of Makurdi to familiarize the research team with the
study area and plan the data gathering process for the study.
3. Conduct series of mini-consultations among stakeholders to encourage them to attend
and discuss the problem of HIV/AIDS in an omnibus city consultation.
4. Gather data from targeted respondents (PLWHA) in the city of Makurdi.
5. Make policy, suggestions and recommendation to step down the epidemic in Makurdi
city, and Nigeria in general.

Methodology

The study commenced with desk reviews and a pilot survey of the city of Makurdi. This enabled
the research team to identify stakeholders for City Consultation and brief them about the vision
of The African Network of Urban Management Institutions (ANUMI) and the City Consultation
on AIDS. It also afforded the research team the opportunity to plan the data gathering required
for the city profile report. The research team found that although there were numerous AIDS
intervention programmes in the city, the expected benefits to PLWHA were not commensurate
with the heavy investments made in this regard. This finding necessitated the involvement of
PLWHA throughout all stages of the City Consultation process.

Next, the research team began the data collection phase of the study, using primary data. The
team administered questionnaires among PLWHA at the Federal Medical Centre and the Bishop
Murray Catholic Mission in the city. Another set of questionnaires was administered among
stakeholders involved in policy making with regards to AIDS. In Makurdi, this includes officials
of the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Federal Medical Centre, Bishop
Murray Catholic Mission Health Centre, Makurdi, The Nigerian Television Authority, Makurdi,
Associations of People Living with AIDS, non – governmental organizations and local action
groups involved in AIDS management etc. The data from the questionnaires was complemented
with focus group discussions with PLWHA to capture their perspectives about the disease and its
impact on their lives.

Data from the questionnaires were analyzed on a computer software package called The
Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Descriptive analysis of the data, including case
summaries of the questionnaire variables was carried out and the results were used to develop a
comprehensive profile of AIDS in Makurdi.

FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY

1) Sexual Practices

Findings on sexual practices of PLWHA reveal the fact that 63% were sexually active. Out of
this percentage, 8.5% had two sexual partners while the remaining 54.5% had one partner.
Eighteen percent of the respondents had had sex with commercial sex workers and 48.5% had
had casual sex. Most of the respondents had sex with their spouses or lovers (69.1%), but what is
worrisome is the fact that 42.4% of the respondents indicated that their partners had other sexual
partners. In addition 50.9% of the respondents used no form of protection during their last sexual
24
intercourse, while 38.8% used condoms – the most common form of protection. Consequently,
the practice of multiple sexual partners and non-use of protection during sex must be examined
because of the associated high risk of contracting and spreading the disease. This comes against
the backdrop of the relatively high level of awareness that PLWHA had about modes of
transmission of the disease.

As a likely consequence of the above-mentioned trends, a significant portion of the respondents

indicated symptoms of other sexually transmitted diseases. For genital ulcers, 40.6% indicated
having this symptom, 19.4% had experienced urethral discharge, 32.7% had dysuria and 46.7%
had experienced vaginal discharge. The last figure being the highest percentage may be a pointer
to the fact that female PLWHA were more vulnerable to contracting the disease before infection
took place. Indeed, 57% of the respondents did indicate that they had contracted a sexually
transmitted disease in the past.

2) Perception of Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS

Interestingly, the respondents were aware of the relative potency of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In
this regard, 71.5% agreed that anyone is vulnerable to contracting the disease, 57% perceived
AIDS as the deadliest known human disease and 87.3% perceived themselves as being
vulnerable to the disease. In addition 60.6% of the respondents were aware about Voluntary
Counseling and Testing and 50.9% were willing to be tested for the disease. Evidence that the
disease is more rampant than is estimated by contemporary studies, is supported by the fact that
84.2% of the respondents knew other people who had the disease. Also, 49.1% of the
respondents believed that HIV/AIDS is curable and 29.1% believed this could be achieved
through orthodox doctors. Another 20% believed prayers could cure the disease as well. This
confirms the respondents’ beliefs in orthodox medicine and divine intervention as the likely
sources for curing the disease.

3. Socio-Psychological Impact of the disease

According to the respondents, a significant proportion experienced stigmatization in terms of

discrimination at work, denial of unemployment, denial of social support like credit, loans,
ostracism from relatives etc. Indeed, 42.4% of respondents experienced stigmatization. In
addition, 44.3% mentioned denial of social support and ostracism from relatives and 32.9%
mentioned discrimination at work as the principal types of stigmatization they experienced. The
problem of stigmatization must be taken seriously because, based on the earlier definition, it
deprives PLWHA the opportunity to make money to purchase the requisite drugs for treatment
and other essential medical services they require. In spite of the stigmatization, the respondents
mention the receipt of financial donations, as 40.4% received such help to cope with their
predicament. Out of this, 26.1% of the respondents received financial aid from relatives and
16.4% from friends, the two principal sources. Interestingly these two sources of aid were the
most likely to stigmatize PLWHA as 11.5% of respondents mentioned family members and
friends as people who stigmatized them.

The financial assistance the respondents received is an indicator of the respondents’ inability to
cope with the costs of managing the disease. Up to 58.2% of the respondents mentioned a failure
to meet their financial responsibilities, 15.5% mentioned loss of self-employment and 14.5%
mentioned loss of savings. Other coping mechanisms of the respondents included their
membership in ‘Associations of PLWHA’. Up to 54% of respondents were members because of
25
the need to share their experiences with other PLWHA to reduce the negative health implications
of stress, anger, frustration, rejection etc. Also 44.4% mentioned the need for moral support and
counseling for proper education about the disease. Knowing the benefits of these associations,
there is the need to sensitize PLWHA further, as 39.8% of the respondents indicated that they
were not members of such associations because of ignorance. Interestingly, the disease did not
significantly affect the social activities of the respondents, as 58.5% mentioned their attendance
of village meetings, while 21.3% mentioned their participation in club activities.

Of course, the respondents listed several forms of ‘Care and Support’ they required to cope with
the disease. Indeed, 27.9% mentioned employment – the need to have a job to make money,
21.8% wanted cheaper drugs required for their treatment and 18.2% mentioned availability of
these drugs for treatment. This makes the issues of economic empowerment of PLWHA and the
availability of cheaper drugs as key ‘Care and Support’ programmes to be deliberated upon at
this City Consultation. In addition 39.8% of the respondents knew the HIV status of their
spouses, again raising the issue of constraints working against PLWHA going for Voluntary
Counseling and Testing, such as fear, ignorance etc.

4. Impact of the disease on Personal Finances of PLWHA

The AIDS epidemic has clearly worsened the financial situation of PLWHA, as 34.1% of
respondents earned between N0 – N15000 per month making up about one-third of the
respondents. Another 8.4% earned between N15,000 – N30,000 per month and 1.8% earned
between N30,000 – N75,000 per month. This income includes money earned from their
professions and financial assistance from relatives and friends. The respondents appear to be
carrying heavy financial burdens as 74.5% had children in school and only 38.3% were able to
afford their school fees.

Knowing the relatively high drug subsidy of N7,000 and other financial responsibilities of the
respondents, such as children’s’ educational needs, house rent, etc, it is extremely difficult for
most of the patients to cope with the financial costs of managing the disease. This point is
reinforced by the fact that 88.6% of the respondents spend between N0 – N10,000 per month
attending HIV/AIDS clinic sessions for treatment and counseling. In addition, the respondents
spend considerable time at these clinic sessions as 52.1% of the respondents spent between 5 – 7
hours per session. This tends to take considerable time from the PLWHA from other productive
activities that could generate income in the long run.

According to the respondents, up to 33.9% were unemployed. Indeed 17% of the respondents
indicated they were unemployed for reasons such as low level of education, were still looking for
work, were dependents etc. Out of the employed respondents, 34.5% were self-employed in
private businesses, commerce and trading activities and 32.7% were engaged in formal
employment.

Recommendations and Policy Issues

Based on findings in this study, policy direction is urgently needed in the following areas to step
down the impact and spread of HIV/AIDS in Benue State in particular and Nigeria in general.

26
• The political will is in existence to act decisively to prevent the further spread of
HIV/AIDS and mitigate its impact, but efforts on the ground are too limited to make
positive meaningful impacts on the lives of PLWHA. Political will need be
strengthened to take care of these limitations. Stakeholders need to be sensitized
about the impact of HIV/AIDS on lives and livelihoods, and advocacy needs to take
place to mobilize resources and effort to address the spread of the epidemic.
• Policy actions are needed, not only on awareness programmes, but also more in the
area of infection prevention, strengthening of care and support to PLWHA and
caregivers. Efforts need be intensified on mitigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS.
• There is an urgent need to give much more attention to appropriate prevention
measures in all cities and communities, with particular focus on high risk groups, that
is, the youths and others affected by poverty and inequality which enhance
susceptibility to infection.
• AIDS is still a highly stigmatized disease in Benue State, and as a result, HIV/AIDS
is not addressed openly. This affects prevention, care and support interventions.
Stigma also prevents the collection of accurate data on which to base policy and
program decisions. Hence, policies to eradicate stigmatization must be put in place
and intensify it across the federation.
• As regards care and support, the challenge here is how best to assist and strengthen
local support networks so that they can become more effective without becoming
overwhelmed. Support must build on local initiatives and existing safety nets,
avoiding the development of external or parallel support systems which cannot be
sustained. PLWHA needs be empowered, provided with employment and enough
drugs to go round all the PLWHA identified in the country.
• Care and support efforts should focus directly on target groups and the most
vulnerable groups such as: PLWHA, orphans, widows and elderly caregivers.
PLWHA need better access to care, which improves their health, quality of life and
survival. Caregivers and the bereaved need be economically engaged, financially
empowered, given socio-psychological counseling and other types of support. Home-
based care needs to be strengthened to prevent existing safety nets from collapsing
and to improve quality of care. There is an urgent need to strengthen the involvement
of civil society organizations in providing care and support.

REFERENCES

BNARDA/DFID (2004) Impact of AIDS on Rural Livelihoods in Benue State, Nigeria

Implications for Policymakers.

Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), (2002) Technical report Sentinel Survey amongst
Pregnant Women attending Antenatal clinics.

Federal Ministry of Health, Department of Public Health, National AIDS/STD Control

Programme (2001a) “A technical Report on the (2001) National HIV/Syphilis Sentinel
Survey among Pregnant Women Attending Ante-Natal Clinics in Nigeria”, in collaboration
with NACA, NTLCP and DFID.

Federal Ministry of Health, Department of Public Health, National AIDS/STD Control

Programme (2001b) “A technical Report on the (2001) National HIV/Syphilis Sero

27
Prevalence Sentinel Survey among PTB and STD patients in Nigeria”, collaboration with
NACA, NTLCP and DFID.

Federal Ministry of Health, (2002). HIV/AIDS: What it Means for Nigeria (Background,
Projections, Impact, Interventions and POLICY)

UNICEF/UNAIDS (1999). Children on the brink. A joint report on orphan estimates and
program strategies. New York

NAPEP (2002) Report on Overview of Benue State.

USAID (2004) POLICY Projects published by Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria.

Ssengozi R. and S. Moreland (2001) “Estimating the Number of Orphans at the National
and State Levels in Nigeria (2000-2015)”, Abuja, Nigeria: The Policy Project.

28
Questions and Answers of City Profile of HIV/AIDS in Makurdi by Dr. Abiodun Ojoawo

Dr. Utor stated that the paper has revealed several issues geared around the AIDS situation in
Makurdi. The State Ministry was concerned about ethical clearance for institutions looking to
study HIV/AIDS in the State, so data could be cross-checked and checks and balances
introduced. A health act was being considered in the state house to protect the rights of
PLWHA. The sample size used in the study was worrisome because of the paper’s use of
percentages. In other words the sample size had implications for validly and Reliability Testing.

Other contributions from the participants wanted to know if percentages or figures were
allocated to mitigation of data associated with the spread of the disease. Testing just for the sake
of testing without giving drugs to patients was unethical. Although the government and
BENSAA had taken some steps, not enough support was coming to justify all the data being
collected. Availability of drugs should e the focus of the City Consultation – even an aggregate
increase of 50% will make a big difference.

According to Reverend Tor Uja participants should have a copy of this profile for more fruitful
deliberations during the Syndicate Group Discussions. He wanted to know why Makurdi was
selected for the study. In addition, he believed that blood transfusion appeared not to be a factor
responsible to the transmission of HIV – Oral sex was a more significant factor in this regard.
We ran the risk of developing a unipolar approach and not a multipolar one, with the latter being
the better policy option. He wanted to know how to stop new infections while taking care of old
ones. The society needed awareness on a sustainable basis with a deliberate care approach. Lack
of effective care and support programmes raised the risk of HIV positive people infecting others.
Reverend Uja appreciated representatives of the Benue State Ministry and The Federal Medical
Centre. He wanted to know if DPC could get government and PERFA to improve the treatment
of patients.

29
 Syndicate Group Discussions

GROUP A: Problems in the Care and Support Programmes

GROUP B: Social Challenges of the PLWHA
GROUP C: Improving Governance to arrest the spread of HIV/AIDS
GROUP D: Fostering desirable attitudinal changes in a community living with HIV/AIDS
GROUP E: Harmonizing HIV/AIDS Initiatives

30
 REPORT OF SYNDICATE GROUP DISCUSSIONS

GROUP A – PROBLEMS IN THE CARE AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES

I. The following were identified as the components of the care and support
programmes.

- Financial assistance
- Counseling
- Educational
- Provision of ARV drugs
- Spiritual Support
- Skills Acquisition
- Support Groups
- Medicare

II. General Problems Identified With HIV/AIDS

1. Drugs
i) Inadequacy of drugs
ii) Inaccessibility of Care and Support to most PLWHAS
iii) Drug Shortages
iv) Drugs are expensive

2. Food – Inability to feed well

3. Lack of a source of income
4. Rejection of PLWHA by family and friends
5. Discrimination and Stigmatization of PLWHA

III. Problems Encountered by Support Group & Agencies.

1. Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi

- Drug shortages
- Irregularities in placement of PLWHA on Federal Government Drug List
- Lack of privacy of AIDS patients
- Irregularities in drug allocation and collection
- Delays in Service Provision
- High Cost of ARVS of the hospital initiative
- ARV clinic is not shaded – too much sun exposure for AIDS patients
- Improper counseling of patients

2. Others
- High cost of ARVS by the other groups

Support Groups
- Rivalry among group members
- Continued high risk behaviour among members

31
IV. List of Care and Support Programmes in Makurdi for PLWHA

1. Federal Government ARV initiative at Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi

2. Hospital Initiatives on ARVS – at N7000 spent on one patient per month.
• Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi
• Bishop Murray Catholic Mission
3. PFD (Partners for Development) spends N5000 per patient per month on ARVS and Skill
Acquisition
4. Society for Family Health – distributes free condoms to the public
5. PATHS – ARV programme at N5650 per patient
6. Health Information Centre (HIC) – for Skills Acquisition. Also gives:
- Drugs for OI (Opportunistic Infections)
- Foodstuffs
- Financial Support
- Counseling
- VCT, Subsidized

7. OSA Foundation – for Microcredit Scheme

8. Benue Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS – provides
- Income Generating Activities
- Providing Home – based care free
- Providing Foodstuff

9. Peace Support Group - gives

- Home based Care free
- Food Stuff
- Counseling

10. DFID gives Financial support

11. Saint Joseph Catholic Mission Nigerian, gives
- Spiritual support
- Financial Support

V. Strategies

1. Drugs procured to be disbursed to PLWHA in Makurdi through BENPPLUS (Benue

Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS) at a cost of N1000.
2. Skill Acquisition Training to be organized by BENPPLUS on a continuous basis (AFTER
BENPPLUS has undergone a training by trainers)
3. Micro-credit schemes to mobilize those trained by the network.
4. Rejection by family and friends – Support group members to visit families rejecting
PLWHA to counsel them.
5. Reducing high-risk behaviour – Support groups inviting health care givers to their
meetings for talks, periodically.

32
 GROUP B: SOCIAL CHALLENGES FACING PLWHA

Serial Problem Solution

Number
1 Stigmatization , Discrimination a) Makurdi Local Government should create
and Rejection of PLWHA and awareness programmes in the community
the people who work with them b) Outreach programmes through community
based organizations, naming, burial ceremonies,
public gatherings, and traditional authorities.
c) Identify PLWHA and encourage them to form
support groups.
d) Educating the community about the rights of
PLWHA

2 Inadequate Counseling Services a) Retraining of Counselors in the Local

for PLWHA Government in collaboration with the State
- Pre Counseling Action Committee on AIDS to perform their
- Post Counseling duties effectively and to provide more
- Follow-up by Counselors counselors to serve the hinterland.
b) Training of religious leaders for cost-effective
financing of Local Government programmes
c) Identify donor agencies and seek funding as a
follow-up to day 3 of the consultation’s funding
d) NGO’s and CBO’S with office space,
equipment and trained personnel should
collaborate with The Local Action Committee
on AIDS
3 Lack of Family Support for a) Encourage family members to obtain financial
PLWHA – rejection, assistance from CBO’s to care for their
discrimination against PLWHA PLWHA.
by relatives b) Sensitization of relatives of PLWHA about the
modes of transmission of the disease

4 Data Management Policy of a) LACA should enact a policy requiring any

HIV/AIDS Studies institution carrying our AIDS studies in its area of
jurisdiction to make their research findings public.
5 Human Rights Violations of LACA should enforce recent State legislation
PLWHA protecting the rights of PLWHA to live, move freely,
obtain employment, express their views freely,
gender equality, against discrimination, stigma, to be
treated like any other person.
6 Nutrition of PLWHA a) LACA should provide jobs for these breadwinners,
- Inability of breadwinners to so they can afford food for their families.
care for their family members b) Encourage affected breadwinners to form
because of discrimination, ill- cooperative groups and assist them in obtaining
health etc loans, credit from financial institutions.
c) Educate PLWHA about local foodstuffs that can
provide a balanced diet for them.

33
Serial Problem Solution
Number
7 Financial problems facing a) Encourage relatives of PLWHA to help them
PLWHA and extend this initiative to the community.
b) LACA can provide employment for PLWHA
through its Poverty Alleviation Programmes.
c) LACA can organize fund-raising activities,
inviting community leaders to contribute.
8 Mismanagement of drugs by a) LACA should monitor the drug administration of
health workers health institutions in Makurdi to ensure PLWHA
get requisite services.
b) LACA should collaborate with The Benue
Network of PLWHA to monitor the drug
administration of health institutions in Makurdi.

34
 GROUP C – IMPROVING GOVERNANCE TO ARREST THE SPREAD OF
HIV/AIDS

Serial Problem Solution

Number
1 Gross misuse of funds identified Need for legislation to discourage misuse of funds
2 Monitoring mechanism observed Legislation needed to enforce accountability,
to be weak transparency. Local Governments to be more
transparent and responsive to their responsibilities
3 Discrimination/Stigmatization of Legislation is important to discourage this and
PLWHA at work, in the home, in corresponding enforcement of strict penalties against
the church, in business etc offenders needed.
4 Weak Political Will Government to strengthen political will towards solving
HIV/AIDS problems. In this regard, greater advocacy at
the highest level of government is required.
5 Inadequate supply of ARVS and Government to increase drug supply to reach all those
distribution outlets are few that need to be regimented. More distribution outlets to
be established.
6 Government does not involve Government to integrate PLWHA in formulating broad
PLWHAS in policy decision- based statewide policies and decisions.
making
7 Many skilled and unskilled, Government to absorb these people in its public service
strong and able PLWHAS are departments, involving them in less strenuous tasks.
unemployed
8 Care and Support not Government to provide the needs like food, drugs,
encouraged by government education of PLWHA.
9 Financial Government to provide stipends for the unemployed
PLWHA on a monthly basis to assist them.

35
 GROUP D: FOSTERING DESIRABLE ATTITUDINAL CHANGES IN A
COMMUNITY LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

The Group discussed at length the paper presented by Mr. Stephen Yongo, President of PLWHA
and concluded that desirable attitudinal changes can be achieved but will be gradual. It can be
encouraged through:

- Intensive effort at awareness creation

- Providing income-generating activities for people affected, such as Soap and Cake
making.
- Empower PLWHA and PABA with skills to improve their self-image and promote
positive attitudinal changes within the community.

36
 GROUP E: HARMONIZING HIV/AIDS INITIATIVES

The group affirms that it is very important to bring together different initiatives (ideas and
actions) that are in tandem with the overall goal. To achieve this it is required that available
services and gaps are identified, so as to channel correctly all resources. There should also be
sharing of knowledge of best practices and information for effective monitoring and evaluation.
There should also be networking among stakeholders.

Different kind of Initiatives were noted, such as:

1. Prevention
- Medical
- Awareness Creation and Sensitization
- Behavioural Changes
• Abstinence
• Faithfulness
• Condom use
• High level of identification with HIV/AIDS
• VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing)
2. Care and Support
Care for orphans and vulnerable children
• Fostering
• Formation of different Support Groups
- Care and support for PLWHA
Advocacy
Provision of ARV
Medical Care

3. Poverty Reduction
Skills Acquisition
Micro-Credit
4. Policy Development
- NGO Networks
- FBO Networks
- Government Initiatives
- PLWHA Networks
- Youth Activities

How to Harmonize Strategies

- Formation of Thematic networks
- Formation of umbrella Networks – Focal Groups
- Documentation
- Information Dissemination
- Periodic Meeting of Stakeholders on HIV/AIDS
- Advocacy
- Mapping and Profiling

37
The Challenges of Harmonization
- Coordination
- Funding
- Reduction of the speed in the implementation of activities
- Capacity Building of Institutions managing HIV/AIDS
- Threat of Unwillingness of stakeholders to implement initiatives on AIDS
- Corporate Ownership of AIDS projects
- Resistance of stakeholders to change
- Monitoring and Evaluation of AIDS related programmes

Action Plan
Organize another general meeting of stakeholders in Makurdi with a view to:

- Expose stakeholders to each other

- Share information on existing services
- Identify strengths and weaknesses of existing AIDS programmes
- Cause stakeholders to agree on the need for synergy in programme design

At the meeting there will be formation of networks and strengthening of existing ones along
these lines:
- Thematic Focal Groups
- Professional Groups
- Community Grouping

There will also be Capacity Building for leaders and members of service providers.

The Harmonising Committee will be responsible for advocacy among Political and Religious
Leaders, and Funding Agencies. Also for:
- Presentation of Services to the affected
- Sensitization of Stakeholders
- Publicity

The Harmonising Committee will also

- Undertake Training of Emerging Groups
- Monitoring and Evaluation.

38
 Action Plan and the Implementation Committee
SUMMARY OF ACTION PLAN

S/No Activities Objectives Methodology Resources Who When Date

1 Reducing Eradication of Consultation Trained Local June,
stigmatization stigmatization with counselors, Government 2005,
and by 40% in the community stationary, Council to 4th
discrimination year 2007 leaders Information sponsor 50% quarter,
against Outreach to Education of needed 2005
PLWHA cbo’s and funds,
Communicat NGO’s,
ion (IEC), Donor
Transportati Agencies and
on Philanthropist
s to sponsor
the other 50%
To improve Training Health Local May
2 Adequate the quality and workshop for personnel in Governments, 2005
Counseling increase the professional Makurdi in NGO’s,
quantity of counselors Health, University of
trained Distribution of Agriculture Agriculture,
counselors publications on and Makurdi
HIV/AIDS Education (UAM)
Stationary
Remuneratio
n for
professional
staff
3 Family To increase Involvement of Same as Local Same
Support the cash flow families of above Government, as
Programmes into families PLWHA in NGO’s, above
of PLWHA for LACA CBO’s, UAM
the benefit of programmes
PLWHA
4 Data To ensure data Focus Group Funds for Personnel of July,
Management on AIDS Discussions Transportati the Makurdi 2005
Policy of related studies and semi- on of Local
HIV/AIDS is made structured professional Government,
studies available to interviews of staff and NGO’s and
PLWHA and PLWHA feeding donor
Local agencies
Government
Information
Centre
5 Human Rights To enforce Train members Members of BENPPLUS, August,
Protection of Benue State of Benue BENPPLUS LACA, 2005
PLWHA Legislation Network of Personnel Critical mass
protecting the PLWHA to from the at Local
rights of interact with Benue State Government
PLWHA PLWHA Ministry of Authority

39
 Health
S/No Activities Objectives Methodology Resources Who When Date
6 Improving the To ensure that Training Stationary, NGO’s, Oct
nutrition of PLWHA in workshop for Local Cob’s, 2005
PLWHA Makurdi enjoy PLWHA in Government LACA, UAM
a balanced diet agro-allied Counselors,
industrial BENPPLUS
activities Counselors,
Feeding and
transportatio
n of
participants
7 Improving the To improve Organizing Personnel NGO’s, Nov
Financial the quality of fund-raising from CBO’s, UAM 2005
Situation of life of activities NGO’s,
PLWHA PLWHA through faith CBO’s,
through based Stationary,
income organizations, UAM
generating community
activities leaders, donor
agencies
8 Improvement Ensuring LACA to BENPPLUS BENPPLUS Nov
of drug proper establish , LACA, and LACA 2005
administration administration collaborative Transportati
by health of ARV’s by mechanism on,
workers health workers with Coordinators
to PLWHA BENPPLUS of Local
Government
Authority
(LGA)

40
Makurdi City Consultation

Action plan for Makurdi City HIV/AIDS: Prevention and Impact Mitigation Initiative

The Makurdi City Board on HIV/AIDS was formed on the second day 7-4-05 of the City
Consultation on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi. Its membership is listed as follows

S/No Name Institution Position on

Implementation
Committee
1. Mr. Stephen Yongo Benue Network of People Chairman
Living with HIV/AIDS
2. Mrs Becky Aernyi Makurdi Local Vice Chairman
Government Action
Committee on AIDS
3. Miss Elizabeth Aluna Makurdi Local General Secretary
Government Secretariat
Personnel Department,
Traditional Council
Section
4. Mr. Febian Tor Benue Network of People Assistant Secretary
Living with HIV/AIDS
5. Mr. Andrew Ogwuche Cooperative Extension Financial Secretary
Centre, University of
Agriculture, Makurdi
6. Mr. David A. Orkar Cooperative Extension Treasurer
Centre, University of
Agriculture, Makurdi
7. Miss Josephine Haba Jireh Foundation Pauline Member
Makka Centre, High Level,
Makurdi
8. Mr Ona Ode Benue State HIV/AIDS Networking Officer
Programme Development
Project. 18, Peter
Achimugu Avenue. Behind
Post Office Makurdi. C/O
P.O. .Box 2062 Makurdi
9. Mr Richard Iorlaha Ministry of Women Affairs Member
and Youth Development
Makurdi
10. Miss Janet Mbashar Benue Network of People Member
Living with HIV/AIDS,
Makurdi

41
 Appendix

1. Goodwill Message from PATHS…………………………………………………..43 – 44

2. General Lists of Participants ……………………………………………………..45 – 49

3. Lists of Participants in the Discussion Groups …………………………………….50 – 52

42
A GOODWILL MESSAGE FROM LIZZY AKOR – THE PROGRAMME OFFICER
FOR PATHS ON THE CITY CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON HIV/AIDS AND
LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN MAKURDI, 6 APRIL, 2005 AT THE PLAZA HOTEL

I would like to salute you on behalf of my organization, Partnership for Transforming Health
Systems (PATHS). PATHS is a Department for International Development programme on
health related issues (DFID). This organization works in collaboration with Nigerian partners
across all sectors to develop partnerships for transforming the health systems in Nigeria.

The objectives of DPC towards HIV/AIDS control here in Benue is a good idea. We have
also discovered that so many parallel programmes in the state on these issues , with each one
doing their own thing .This has not helped in the spread , rather it worsens the situation. Can
we say here that what the situation needs now is Creating Awareness? I feel we need more
than that now. We can actually come together, bring these different ideas together and come
up with useful plans involving PLWAS.

DFID had earlier on sponsored another programme in Benue on HIV/AIDS through

Liverpool Associates and Tropical Health (LATH). The organization did a lot of work on
HIV/AIDS, mostly in Zone C, where the epidemic is said to be high. This time around,
PATHS has come to partnership with organizations and work towards some priority health
conditions that have been identified, like Safe motherhood, TB, Diarrhoea, other services
provision like DRUGS and basic equipment.

Activities of PATHS Benue in managing this situation

• DRF system with the PLWAS on ARVs. PATHS provided an initial seeds stock by
purchase. It also gave technical assistance to local health institutions in the running
ARV/DRF systems.
• Drugs for the PMTCT has also been ordered as a drug to help positive mothers
• On the management aspect is an integrative plan of HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted
Diseases and Tuberculosis (HAST). A manual has been developed, and currently
undergoing scrutinization before training of health workers can commence.
• As one of our major outputs, strengthening the stewardship role of Government which is
also about Local Governance.

We are always looking forward to partnership with any organization that has these ideas to
curb the menace. The city consultation on HIV/AIDS and Governance is a good step forward
and after the stakeholders’ consultative forum, it is hoped that good plans will come out.
Consequently, we should have a common ‘basket’ which could be managed by the
government whereby any NGOS coming to the state , both international and national would
see these plans and put their money into the common basket. Then Strategic plans could
follow.

It is hoped that the other DFID programme contracted by Family Health International (FHI)
would come a long way to do so many things in this regard.

43
Once again I sincerely on behalf of my organization commend DPC for this brilliant idea and
say here that our doors are open to whatever plans and ways we could work together to curb
this problem from our state so it moves to the 5th position in the next survey.

Thank you and God bless.

Lizzy Akor.

44
 MAKURDI CITY CONSULTATION ON HIV/AIDS
APRIL 6 – 8 2005

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR DAY 1 – OPENING CEREMONY AND PLENARY

SESSION

SERIAL NAME OCCUPATION / ADDRESS

NUMBER INSTITUTIONAL
AFFILIATION
1 Eunice Achakpa Housewife Gboko Road,
Makurdi
2 Ibume O. Richard Health Information HIC
Centre
3 Prof. B Aboyade Chairman , DPC Ibadan
4 Regina E. Ameli Procurement Officer Makurdi
, Benue HIV/AIDS
Project
5 Daniel Akpolo Civil Servant Makurdi
6 Nathaniel Ikape Civil Servant Makurdi
7 Ahuah Kulugh Teaching Makurdi
8 Febian Tor HIV/AIDS Activist Makurdi
9 Janet Mbashall Benue Network of Makurdi
People Living with
HIV/AIDS
10 Samuel Akase Benue Network of Makurdi
People Living with
HIV/AIDS
11 E.C Odiaka Lecturing University of
Agriculture, Makurdi
12 D. K Adedzwa Research / UAM
Extension
13 Mrs Justina Odumu DP Makurdi
14 Akighin A. Alfred Civil Servant Makurdi
15 Rita Abari Nursing / Peace Makurdi
Health Care
Organization
16 Yevvhi Iorlaha Housewife Makurdi
17 Numbeve B . Kenneth Applicant Makurdi
18 Stephen Yongo Teaching (Benue Makurdi
Network of People
Living with
HIV/AIDS,
BNPPLUS)
19 Koko Paul Computer Operator Makurdi
(BNPPLUS)

45
SERIAL NAME OCCUPATION / ADDRESS
NUMBER INSTITUTIONAL
AFFILIATION
20 Tor Uja Pastor Makurdi
21 David A. Orkar Agricultural Extension University of
Agriculture ,
Makurdi
22 Paul Ogenyi Teaching Makurdi
23 Godwin Chukwu Welder Makurdi
24 Kuyisa Abu Farming Yam dev
25 Meg Chukwu Social Worker Makurdi
26 Ona Ode Benue State Project Makurdi
Team
27 Myaagha Tsea Patrice Business Makurdi
28 Andrew Ogwuche CEC , Civil Servant Makurdi
29 Honourable Mike Honourable Makurdi
Iduma Commissioner for Health
30 Dr (Mrs) Roselina H. CEC , University of Makurdi
Daudu Agriculture
31 Nushukurc Jnding Health Information Makurdi
Centre
32 Joshua Samuel Health Information Makurdi
Centre
33 Pauline Ayo Federal Ministry of Makurdi
Works
34 Veronica Ikyaagba Saint Catherine’s Makurdi
Primary School
35 Cecila Anoh HIV/AIDS Coordinator , Makurdi
Makurdi Local
Government
36 Mbakperan Cibor Director Buwah Makurdi
Barracks Local
Government Area
37 John T Ortese Extension Agronomist Makurdi
CEC, University of
Agriculture
38 Honourable Steve Makurdi Local Makurdi
Asom Government

SERIAL NAME OCCUPATION / ADDRESS

INSTITUTIONAL
NUMBER
AFFILIATION

46
39 Joseph Sokpo Civil Servant Makurdi
40 Simein Ihyo Civil Servant Makurdi
41 Member Peters PASG Makurdi
42 Mr Samuel A. Imo PASG Makurdi
43 Josephine Habba CISNHM FP Makurdi
44 Julian Demise Business woman Makurdi
45 Ephram Washima Nurse Zakibian
46 Evangelist Otsesunday Civil Servant Ohimini
47 Elizabeth Akor Health Development PATHS
Officer
48 Tor Gondo Civil Servant NOHAHS
49 Achi Torsar Student , Benue State Logo II , Opposite
University (BSU)
BSU, Makurdi
50 Mermber Torsar Housewife Chito Ukum Local
Government
51 Richard I. Iorlaha Civil Servant, Ministry of Makurdi
Women Affairs and
Youth Development
52 S.K Adetsan Civil Servant Makurdi
53 M.I Agber Civil Servant Makurdi
54 Victoria Onazi Civil Servant Makurdi
55 Becky Aernyi PHCC/HODH Makurdi Makurdi
Local Government
Council

56 Honourable Titus Akuta Personnel Assistant, Makurdi

MLC. CHAM
57 Demvihin Vihishima Unemployed Makurdi

SERIAL NAME OCCUPATION / ADDRESS

NUMBER INSTITUTIONAL
AFFILIATION
58 Veronica Vanger Civil Servant Kwande
59 Iveren P. Garba Student Makurdi
60 Roseline Odeh Retired Arm Nigerian Makurdi

47
 Custom Service
61 Daphnie Dondo JIreh Foundation / SLIP Pauline Makka
Centre , Makurdi
62 Mercy Odu Positive Vibes Pauline Makka
Centre , Makurdi
63 Mrs G.A Wende Secretary State Action Gwande
Committee on AIDS
64 Nancy Vaatia Radio Benue Health Makurdi
Correspondent
65 Awangeh Monica Nursing Benue Med Aweh , Makurdi
66 Dr Terrumun Z Federal Medical Centre Makurdi
Swende
67 Dr Phillip Abata Medical Director , Makurdi
Federal Medical Centre
68 Dr Adeniyi Medical Director , Makurdi
Alayoayo Federal Medical Centre
69 Mr I. U. Mee Civil Servant , JAF , Makurdi
MOH
70 Ubo James Civil Servant JAF , MOH Makurdi
Shaapera
71 Dr . A.C. Ali Federal Medical Centre Makurdi
72 Grace Alashi Teaching Makurdi
73 Dr Kokara J.S Medical Doctor , Federal Makurdi
Medical Centre
74 John Awnla Makurdi
75 Hembadoon Benue State University Makurdi
Dzege
76 Mr Simon U Iduh S.A to Commissioner for MOH
Health
77 D.Z Guda SMOH Makurdi
78 Rev Sr Rose Nurse , Bishop Murray Makurdi
Udianefo Medical Centre

48
79 Dr E. Akuto SMOIA , Makurdi Makurdi
80 Titus Ukyor SA MKS Chairman Makurdi
81 Mbumun Uche Business Makurdi
82 Dr Faogu E. N Medical Doctor , Federal Makurdi
Medical Centre
83 Dr (Mrs) Federal Medical Centre Makurdi
Dokunmu
84 Dr Andrea Jogo Federal Medical Centre Makurdi
85 Honourable Makurdi Local Makurdi
Margaret Ugo Government Area
Secretariat

49
 GROUP A: PROBLEMS IN THE CARE AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES

7 April 2005

List of Participants

Serial NAME OCCUPATION/INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS

Number AFFILIATION
1 JANET MBASHALL Benue Network of People Living with Makurdi
HIV/AIDS
2 PAUL KOKO COMPUTER OPERATOR Makurdi
3 SAMUEL AKASE BUSINESS CONSULTANT BNPPLUS MKD
4 TOR FRED Cooperative Extension Centre , Makurdi
University of .Agriculture
5 YEVIHI IORLALA TRADER Makurdi
6 MEG CHUKWU Coordinator EASJ Makurdi
7 JOY MAKERI Makurdi
8 YONGO STEPHEN BENPPLUS Makurdi
9 DR. VIVIAN F.M.C Makurdi
SHAAHU
10 HUNDU TORDOO STUDENT Makurdi
11 UPAV TERHURA STUDENT Makurdi

GROUP B: SOCIAL CHALLENGES FACING PLWHA

7 April 2005

List of Participants

Serial NAME OCCUPATION/INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS

Number AFFILIATION
1 YONGO STEPHEN Teaching: Benue Network of People Makurdi
Living with HIV/AIDS
2 AHUAH KUHAH Peace Health Care Support Group Makurdi
(Sec.
3 NUMBEVE KENNETH Peace Health Care Support Group Makurdi
4 DANIEL AKPOLO Dooshining support group Makurdi
5 MEMBER PETERS Positive alliance support group Makurdi
6 CECILIA ANOH Makurdi Local Government (LGA) Makurdi
7 MERCY ODU Positive vibes Makurdi
8 BEDY K. AERMY PHC Dept (HODH) Makurdi LGC Makurdi
(Chairman)
9 OJETUNDE Development Policy Centre Ibadan
ABOYADE
(Rappoteur)

50
 GROUP C: IMPROVING GOVERNANCE

7 April 2005

List of Participants

S/NO NAME OCCUPATION/INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS

AFFILIATION
1 ONA ODE BENUE SPT Makurdi
2 DR. PINE ABATA Medical Doctor, FMC Makurdi Makurdi
3 DR. ADENIYI Medical Doctor, FMC Makurdi Makurdi
ALAYOAYO
4 DR FAAGEE F. M.C. Makurdi Makurdi
ERUKAH
5 EVANGELIST OTSE Ohimuni Makurdi
SUNDAY
6 JOHN ANUKA Wurukum Makurdi
7 PAUL OGENYI Wurukum Makurdi
8 IKYAAGBA ISEA Benue State University Makurdi
PATRICK
9 UBO JANICE Makurdi Culture & Tourism Makurdi
SHAANA
10 HNNDY OGUCHE

GROUP D: FOSTERING DESIRABLE ATTITUDINAL CHANGES

7 April 2005

List of Participants

S/NO NAME OCCUPATION/INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS

AFFILIATION
1 IORHEN SAMUEL Health Information Centre Makurdi
2 EUNICE ACHAKPA Self Employed Gboko Road Mkd
3 JUDY NWACHUKWU H.I.C Makurdi Makurdi
4 IBUME RICHARD Health Practitioner HIC Makurdi
5 AKIGHIV A. AYREAL Dooshina Support Group Makurdi
6 VERONICA M. Msuushina Support Group Ucyaagbe Makurdi
IKYAABA
7 IORHEMEN BETE Civil Servant Makurdi
8 NATHAIEL IKAPE Civil Servant Dooshina Group LOGO II
9 FEBIAN TOV BNPPLUS Positive vibes Youths
10 VICTORIA U Makurdi
11 IMO SAMUEL A. PLSG Makurdi
12 ELIZABETH ALUNA Civil Servant. Makurdi LGC Makurdi

51
 GROUP E: HARMONSING INITIATIVES

7 April 2005

List of Participants

S/NO NAME OCCUPATION/INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS

AFFILIATION
1 RICHARD I. Civil servant, Ministry of Women Affairs Makurdi
IORLAHA & Youth Dev.
2 JOSEPHINE HABBA CISNHAN/ Jireh Foundation Makurdi
3 JOHN T. ORTESE Cooperative Extension Centre, Makurdi
University of Agriculture
4 REGINA S. AMEH Procurement Officer- Benue HIV/AIDS Makurdi
Project
5 TOR UJA Mission House, Makurdi Makurdi

52
 MAKURDI ACTION PLAN

Action Plan for Makurdi City HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Impact Mitigation Initiative
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In order to actualize practical, innovative and sustainable participatory governance vis-à-vis
the AIDS epidemic, the Makurdi City Board on HIV/AIDS (MCBHA) was formed on the
second day (7th April, 2005) of the City Consultation on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi. Its
membership is listed as follows:

NAME INSTITUTION POST ON

IMPLEMENTATION
COMMITTEE
1. Mr. Stephen Yongo Benue Network of people living Chairman
with HIV/AIDS (BENPLUS)
2. Mrs Becky Aernyi Makurdi Local Government Vice Chairman
Action Committee on AIDS
3. Miss Elizabeth Aluna Makurdi Local Government General Secretary
Secretariat Personnel
Department, Traditional Council
Section
4. Mr. Fabian Tor Benue Network of People Living Assistant Secretary
with HIV/AIDS
5. Mr. Andrew Ogwuche Cooperative Extension Centre, Financial Secretary
University of Agriculture
Makurdi
6. Mr. David A. Orkar Cooperative Extension Centre, Treasurer
University of Agriculture
Makurdi
7. Miss Josephine Habba JIRE Foundation Pauline Makka Member
Centre High – Level Makurdi
8. Mr. Ona Ode Benue State HIV Development Networking officer
Project 18, Peter Achimugu
Avenue behind General Post
Office, Makurdi C/o P.O.Box
2062 Makurdi
9. Mr. Richard Iorlaha Ministry of Women Affairs and Member
Youth Development, Makurdi
10. Miss Janet Mbashal Benue Network of People Living Member
with HIV/AIDS Makurdi

Indeed, the board depicts a robust and diverse group of stakeholders responsible for
implementing the action plan agreed upon at the plenary session of the City Consultation.
The diversity of the board membership is meant to solve the uncoordinated governance
structures in the city that makes it difficult to cope with the rapid spread of the disease.
Hitherto, the institutions represented in this new board have been involved in governance
initiatives vis-à-vis the AIDS crisis. These are discussed as follows:

1
1.2 THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION CENTRE (CEC), FEDERAL UNIVERSITY
OF AGRICULTURE, MAKURDI

The CEC has been involved in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in the community over the
past three to four years. It supports capacity building and extension support programmes in
this regard. Recently, it carried out a survey of Benue State, focussing on the negative impact
of the disease on the agricultural productivity of rural farmers in the state. Since agriculture is
a major component of the community’s economic base, the disease is having a negative
impact on the farming population in the area. In this regard, the CEC trained all the
enumerators who carried out the survey.

Within the university context, the agency was concerned about the impact of AIDS on
university campuses in Nigeria, knowing that sexual promiscuity and casual sex among the
student population makes them a high risk group, more likely to contract and spread the
disease. The CEC was involved in capacity building programmes of students regarding peer
education. In other words, senior students were trained in educating incoming freshmen about
the disease, at the universities in Makurdi. In this regard, the agency purchased a computer
and a projector to achieve its aims. The agency believes that projects like the ‘City
Consultation on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi’ will compliment the existing AIDS intervention
programmes in the city to cope with the spread of the disease.

1.3 THE BENUE NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (BENPLUSS)

The Benue Network of People Living with AIDS sheds more light about the prevalence and
spread of the disease. According to them, the association is aware of the problem in Makurdi,
especially the way the infection rate has been affecting young people in Benue State.
Statistics have shown that the problem has severely affected many young people in this state
and this has caused a lot of concern to the activists in the association. In this regard, the
association is working on this particular issue and involving the youth to change behaviour
that tends to spread the disease, such as casual sex.

The mission of BENPLUSS is to educate PLWHAs in the state about reducing the negative
impact of the disease on their lives and reduce its spread. The network has devised numerous
strategies to reduce the viral load that PLWHAs carry. The group is affiliated with other
support groups in the state, like the JIRE Foundation, creating awareness about the disease
among the population.

The network has up to 30 sub-groups across the state and some local governments have more
than 1 sub-group. Although this number appears to be high, there are no sub-groups in some
local government areas of the state. This is an area in which philanthropists, donors, and
government can support the network with funds in order to increase its capacity to create this
awareness. The network believes that the era in which PLWHAs cannot do anything has
passed. In addition, it believes it has the personnel and manpower to reach people at the
grassroots, and create awareness about the disease. Its track record in this regard, is
responsible for the increasing number of PLWHAs who join the network, publicly admitting
their HIV status. The network started small, but has expanded considerably over the years.

In addition, the network requires funds to establish a practical training centre for PLWHAs in
Benue State. Such a centre can disseminate information, in a friendly atmosphere,

2
encouraging fearful PLWHAs to come out publicly and admit their health status. The group
believes care and support programmes are essential and constitute the desire of the PLWHAs,
as lack of such services will cause them to adopt a non-challant attitude to their status and the
disease, contributing to its spread.

The group is concerned about effective awareness programmes through radio and television
programmes to benefit even the rural areas of the state, knowing that such areas lack access
to such facilities. This causes unnecessary in-migration to cities like Makurdi. According to
the group, the spread of AIDS is responsible for the depopulation of the state, the increasing
prevalence of AIDS orphans, and increasing dependence of the population on the government
for services. Government, according to the group, should support PLWHAs who have come
out publicly to admit their health status, to make the fight to check the spread of the disease
more effective.

1.4 THE BENUE STATE HIV/AIDS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

This institution is an arm of the government of Benue State, involved in training and capacity
building programmes for stakeholders involved in AIDS management in the state. The
agency has twenty-three local action groups implementing HIV/AIDS intervention
programmes with 2,000 registered patients. The agency believes the stigma associated with
the disease has dropped considerably in the city because of the high level of awareness about
the disease among the population.

1.5 THE MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Makurdi Local Government has a Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA), adopting
an inward looking methodology to cover Makurdi metropolis. LACA is particularly
interested in the socio-cultural factors spreading the disease in the metropolis. LACA
Committee was put in place and inaugurated in 2002. Activities of LACA in Makurdi
municipal Local Government Area (LGA) were started much later this year after the 3 line
departments on HIV/AIDS namely Agriculture, Education and Health. These line
departments on HIV/AIDS are part of the Local Government Council (LGCs) own
multisectional initiative to combat the spread of the disease. The State Project Team on
HIV/AIDS as well as the Local Government Council (LGC) funds the project. E ach line
department, otherwise known as a critical mass department on HIV/AIDS in the LACA is
made up of the following personnel:

1. The LGA HIV/AIDS coordinator.

2. The Procurement Officer,
3. The HIV/AIDS Accountant and
4. The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officer

The chairman of the LGC and the secretary of the LACA, together with the 3 departments
make up the 14 members of the critical mass committee. The Health department coordinates
the HIV/AIDS activities through the HIV/AIDS coordinator. Already, advocacy/awareness
creation and sensitization workshops have been jointly carried out by the 3 departments to
win over the policy makers, stakeholders, the PLWHAs and the entire staff of the LG
Council.

3
MAKURDI CITY BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Makurdi has a projected 2005 population of 273, 724 people with 142,231 males and 129,483
females. The city has a projected ‘Annual Population Growth Rate’ of 2.6% and is
predominantly populated by the Tiv ethnic group. Other minority ethnic groups in the city
include the Idoma, Jukun and the Igalla. The dominant religion in the city is Christianity and
the residents are mostly farmers, civil servants and traders. The city has a well laid out and
planned road network, and maintains high environmental standards (little refuse was seen on
the streets) because of the strict enforcement of environmental legislation in the state. In
general, the people are accommodating, hospitable and friendly to visitors.

The city of Makurdi occupies the North Central Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and is the
socio-political capital of the region. It has a high incidence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Based on the ratio of the number of infected people in the city and its total population, 1 out
10 people in the city had the disease, according to derived findings from the 2003 sentinel
survey of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja. While it suffers from all the disadvantages
that encourage the spread of the disease, the city is located in an environment that engages in
cultural habits that spread the disease such as traditional circumcision, tattooing etc.
Unfortunately, the literacy rate is low and the incidence of poverty very high in the city.

Like other cities in Nigeria, people identified as having HIV/AIDS are usually ostracized by
the rest of the community. Consequently, nobody will own up to being infected with the
disease. Unsuspecting sexual partners are thus easy victims. Because of the social stigma
involved, people are not ready to carry out HIV tests. Lastly for the country, not much is
being done to assist victims as well as check the spread of the epidemic. Consequently, the
lives of the youths are perpetually under the threat of HIV/AIDS. There is thus the need to
bring all segments of the people together to discuss the problem and find solutions to control
the scourge.

4
2.3 MAKURDI CITY CONSULTATION - ACTION PLAN FOR MAKURDI CITY
HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND IMPACT MITIGATION INITIATIVE

PROJECT NAME: Makurdi City Board on HIV/AIDS

PROJECT TITLE: Makurdi City HIV/AIDS Prevention and Impact Mitigation

Initiative

PROJECT GOAL: Reducing the Prevalence and Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Makurdi
City Population

OBJECTIVES: - Criteria for Impact Assessment Analysis of MCBHA

1. To increase the programme implementation rate in Makurdi City by 15% in the year
2006 through improved condition mechanism and effective mobilization and
utilization of resources.

2. To increase the percentage of youths who practice abstinence from sex, by 10% for
both males and females by the year 2006.

3. To increase access to comprehensive gender sensitivity prevention care treatment and

support services for people living with HIV/AIDS by 2006.

4. To strengthen the capacity of the board members and stakeholders in Programme

design and implementation, proposal writing, resources, mobilization, monitoring and
evaluation, advocacy etc.

5
 VARIABLES MODIFICATION: NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTATION
OBJECTIVE I

TO INCREASE PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION RATE IN MAKURDI CITY BY 15% IN THE YEAR 2006 THROUGH IMPROVED
CONDITION MECHANISM AND EFFECTIVE MOBILIZATION AND UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES

Activities Total Gender Vulnerable Level Who is Objectively Means of Time Budget Risk
Group responsible variables Verification Frame (Naira,
Indicators (OVI) (MOV) N)
Conduct Monthly 12 Female/Male Not Local MCBHA Number of Minutes of April 2005 144,000 May not record
Board Meetings (F/M) Applicable meetings held meeting to March 100%
(N.A) produced 2006 attendance
Baseline Survey General N.A Local MCBHA Number of Report of May to July 400,000 There could be
variables of survey 2005 social upheaval
exposed presented
Mapping and 1 General N.A Local MCBHA Number of The directory April 2005 100,000 Some
Profiling of stakeholders of stakeholders to March organizations
stakeholders produced 2006 may be
(NGOs/CBOs) ineffective
Monitor 4 General N.A Local MCBHA Numbering of Report of April 2005 270,200
stakeholders’ monitoring monitoring to March
response to activities activities 2006
HIV/AIDS produced
Encourage the 5 F/M N.A Local MCBHA Number of group Number of April 2005 – 150,000 There may be
formation of networks umbrella March 2006 structural and
support groups & organizations financial
strengthen 5 registered inhibitions
umbrella and
thematic networks
Development of 1 F/M OVCS, Local MCBHA Number of Copy of January 30,000 The Board
HIV/AIDS Action Youths activities proposed Action Plan 2006 Meeting may be
Plan for Women & Presented irregular
2006/2007 Girls
Operating Cost 810,600

6
 OBJECTIVE II

TO INCREASE THE PERCENT OF YOUTHS WHO PRACTICE ABSTINENCE FROM SEX BY 10% FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE BY
THE YEAR 2006
TARGET BENEFICIARIES
Activities Total Gender Vulnerable Level Who is Objectively Means of Time Budget in Risk
Group responsibl variables Verification Frame Naira
e Indicators
Conduct Advocacy 4 F/M Not Local MCBHA Number of visits Report of April 30,000 The stakeholders
meetings with Applicable made visits made 2005 to may be in
influential female and March accessible
male stakeholders to 2006
mobilize their support
for HIV/AIDS
prevention and
behavioral changes
Conduct sensitization 1 F/M N.A Local MCBHA Number of Report of October 50,000 Might have low
meetings with media sensitization meeting 2005 responses to
practitioners meetings held produced invitations
Conduct outreaches on 6 General N.A Local MCBHA Number of Report of April 350,000 Disruption of
prevention of outreaches outreaches 2005 to meetings by
HIV/AIDS among conducted conducted March hoodlums
youths at market 2006
places, motor parks
and other public places
within Makurdi
metropolis
Utilize youth related 2 F/M Children and Local MCBHA Number of Report of May to 200,000 Disruption of
events (Youth week Youth events/preventive preventive August celebration by
celebration) to activities activities 2005 hoodlums
promote HIV/AIDS carried out
prevention

7
 OBJECTIVE III

TO INCREASE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE GENDER SENSITIVITY, PREVENTION, CARE, TREATMENT AND SUPPORT
SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS, ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY
HIV/AIDSBY 2006

Activities Total Gender Vulnerable Level Who is Objectively Means of Time Frame Budget Risk
Group responsible variables Verification (Naira)
Indicators
Organize a number 20 F/M Not Local MCBHA Number of Attendance list October to 200,000 Initiative may not respond
sensitization meetings Applicable communities of participants November
with local attending 2005
communities on
community driven
initiatives on care and
support
Organize a one day 37 F/M PLWHA Local MCBHA Number of Attendance list July 2005 250,000 There may be no funds
sanitization seminar participants at of participant
for PLWHAs on the the seminar and number of
use of available local support groups
foodstuffs to produce a represented
balanced diet
Train and support 30 F/M PLWHA Local MCBHA Number of Types of IGAs June to 1.5m Poor management
PLWHAs on IGA PLWHA established November
trained and 2005
supported
Subsidize the cost of 100 F/M PLWHA Local MCBHA Number of List of persons April 2005 to 1m Disruption in supply chain
ARV drugs and PLWHA accessing March 2006
treatment services whose drugs subsidized
are subsidized ARV therapy
and percentage and treatment
of the subsidy services

8
 OBJECTIVE IV

TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN PROGRAMME DESIGN AND
IMPLEMENTATION, PROPOSAL WRITING, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, ADVOCACY, ETC

Activities Total Gender Vulnerable Level of Who is Objectively Means of Time Frame Budget Risk
Group Implementat responsible variables Verification (Naira, N)
ion Indicators
Organize training for 10 F/M Not Local MCBHA Number of Report of May 2005 1,000,000 Cost of
board members in Applicable training training training may
advocacy, programmes programmes be too high
Programme design conducted
and resource
mobilization

GRAND TOTAL N6,484,800.00