US embassy cable - 01ABUJA3143

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 003143 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AID ADM 
 
 
USAID/W FOR AFR/WA, MIKE KARBELING 
ABUJA FOR ADMIN 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT, APER, ECON, PREL 
SUBJECT: WORLD AIDS DAY 
 
 
REF: RE: WORLD AIDS DAY 
 
 
1. SUMMARY:  ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 1, THE NATIONAL 
ACTION COMMITTEE FOR AIDS (NACA) ORGANIZED A DAYLONG 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS TO COMMEMORATE WORLD AIDS DAY IN 
ABUJA THAT INCLUDED A PLENARY SESSION FOR MAJOR 
GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ACTORS, A CITY TOUR AND 
RALLY, AND A SOCCER COMPETITION.  THE PLENARY SESSION 
INCLUDED BRIEFINGS BY MINISTRY AND DONOR 
REPRESENTATIVES OUTLINING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 
NATIONAL HIV/AIDS EFFORT, AND AN EVENT HONORING PEOPLE 
LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).  THE CONCLUSIONS THAT CAN 
BE DRAWN FROM ATTENDANCE AT THIS SESSION ARE AS 
FOLLOWS: 1) NACA IS NOW FIRMLY IN CHARGE OF THE 
NATIONAL PROGRAM AND THE APPROACH IS AVOWEDLY MULTI- 
SECTORAL.  FOR INSTANCE, THE MINISTERS OF WOMEN AFFAIRS 
AND LABOR PERSONALLY REPORTED ON THEIR ACTIVITIES WHILE 
OTHER MINISTERS WERE REPRESENTED BY OTHER HIGH LEVEL 
FUNCTIONARIES.  2) THE PROMINENCE OF PLWHAS IN THE 
PROGRAM SIGNIFIES INCREASED NACA/GFRN ACCEPTANCE OF 
THEIR CRITICAL ROLE IN DISEASE MITIGATION.  IN THE 
FUTURE PLWHAS ARE CERTAIN TO FIGURE CENTRALLY IN 
NATIONAL EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE STIGMA AND 
DISCRIMINATION.  3) SEVERAL PLWHAS MADE FRANK COMMENTS 
ABOUT GOVERNMENTAL HIV/AIDS INTERVENTIONS AND THE 
EXISTENCE OF GOVERNMENTAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 
PLWHAS.  THIS DEMONSTRATED A FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION THAT 
DID NOT EXIST PRIOR TO THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION. THE 
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE ALSO CITED 
USAID AS THE MAJOR PARTNER SUPPORTING ITS CRITICAL 
ACTIVITIES SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS PRESENTATION.   THE 
ENTIRE DAY  EVENTS WERE WELL COVERED BY THE MEDIA BUT 
THE POOR QUALITY OF THAT COVERAGE SUGGESTS A CRITICAL 
NEED FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
 
 
2. NACA LEADERSHIP: NACA  ORGANIZATION OF THIS 
ACTIVITY AND THE DEGREE OF REPRESENTATION FROM ALL 
SECTORS SUGGEST THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS FINALLY COME 
OF AGE AND IS IN CHARGE OF THE NATION  HIV/AIDS 
RESPONSE.  CDC AND USAID HAVE BEEN MAJOR SUPPORTERS OF 
NACA SINCE THE ORGANIZATION  CREATION AND OF THE 
MULTI-SECTOR APPROACH.   IN ADDITION, THE PRESENCE OF 
GENERALLY HIGH LEVEL MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR 
REPORTS ON THE ACTIVITIES BEING IMPLEMENTED IN EACH OF 
THE MINISTRIES SUGGESTS THAT THE MINISTRIES ARE BEING 
HELD PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR DOING HIV/AIDS 
ACTIVITIES.  HOWEVER, THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT APPEAR TO 
HAVE SUBSTANCE ARE ALSO THE ONLY ONES RECEIVING 
ASSISTANCE FROM OUTSIDE DONORS; THE MINISTRY OF LABOR 
AND PRODUCTIVITY RECEIVES HELP FROM THE INTERNATIONAL 
LABOR ORGANIZATION AND THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE RECEIVES 
USAID FUNDING.  THE LACK OF REAL SUBSTANCE OF MOST OF 
THE PROGRAMS SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN KEY MINISTRIES HAVE 
A CRITICAL NEED FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY 
BUILDING IN HIV/AIDS PROGRAMMING. 
 
 
3. PLWHAS:  AN EVENT SPOTLIGHTING PLWHAS WAS A MAJOR 
COMPONENT OF THE PLENARY SESSION AND INCLUDED THE 
PRESENTATION OF PLWHAS TO THE GUESTS OF HONOR AND 
SPEECHES BY MUHAMMAD FAROUK, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF 
THE USAID-SUPPORTED NATIONAL AIDS ALLIANCE, AND SENATOR 
KHAIRAT GWADABE, WHO WAS REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF 
THE SENATE.  MR. FAROUK CONGRATULATED THE GFRN ON ITS 
LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE PLANNED PROVISION OF ANTIVIRALS 
WHILE HE ALSO MADE A PLEA FOR THE DRUG PROVISION 
PROGRAM TO BE EXCEPTIONALLY WELL ORGANIZED AND MANAGED. 
 ACCORDING TO HIM, AN ILL-MANAGED ANTIVIRAL PROGRAM 
RUNS THE RISK OF DEVASTATING RATHER THAN IMPROVING THE 
HEALTH OF PLWHAS.   SENATOR GWADABE MADE A GRACIOUS 
SPEECH IN WHICH SHE COMMENDED THE PLWHAS PRESENT FOR 
THEIR COURAGE IN  OING PUBLIC ITH THE DISEASE AND 
FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE NATION IN DOING SO.   ONE 
PLWHA, A SERVING LIEUTENANT IN THE NIGERIAN NAVY, 
CRITICIZED THE ARMED FORCES FOR THEIR DISCRIMINATION 
AGAINST PLWHAS INCLUDING THE DENIAL OF THEIR RIGHTS AND 
PRIVILEGES.  HE CITED, FOR INSTANCE, THE EXISTENCE OF 
SPECIAL ISOLATED HOSPITAL WARDS FOR PLWHAS, THE LACK OF 
MEDICINES TO TREAT THE OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS OF 
ARMED FORCES MEMBERS, AND THE REFUSAL TO SEND PLWHAS ON 
OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENTS OR FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING.  THE 
LIEUTENANT ALSO CRITICIZED THE MINISTERS WHO WERE NOT 
PRESENT AT THE SESSION BUT WHO INSTEAD WERE  BLY 
REPRESENTED Y OTHERS.  HE SAID THE MINISTERS WOULD BE 
THERE PERSONALLY IF VOTES WERE INVOLVED AND THUS URGED 
ALL PLWHAS TO VOTE. 
 
 
4. THE MEDIA: AN OPEN PRESS SESSION NEAR THE END OF THE 
MEETING UNDERLINED THE NEED TO REINFORCE ONGOING 
EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA ON 
ISSUES INVOLVING HIV/AIDS.  ONE QUESTION DIRECTED TO 
THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FOR 
INSTANCE, ASKED WHEN LEGISLATION WOULD BE PASSED TO 
PROHIBIT HIV+ WOMEN FROM HAVING CHILDREN AND THUS FROM 
PASSING ON THE VIRUS.  THIS QUESTION WAS PROBABLY 
STIMULATED BY THE STATISTICS CONCERNING MOTHER TO CHILD 
TRANSMISSION (I.E. ONE-THIRD OF AFRICAN BABIES BORN TO 
HIV INFECTED MOTHERS WILL BE UNINTENTIONALLY INFECTED 
VIA CHILD BIRTH AND BREASTFEEDING) GIVEN DURING 
PRELIMINARY SPEECHES AND THE PRESENCE AMONG THE PLWHAS 
OF SEVERAL WOMEN WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AND/OR PREGNANT. 
THIS QUESTION AND SEVERAL OTHERS SHOWING LACK OF 
UNDERSTANDING ESPECIALLY OF THE HUMAN AND REPRODUCTIVE 
RIGHTS OF PLWHAS DREW IMMEDIATE, NEGATIVE REACTIONS 
FROM THE CROWD. SEVERAL PROPOSALS TO INCREASE THE 
MEDIA  CAPACITY TO REPORT ON HIV/AIDS ISSUES ARE 
CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW. 
 
 
5. THOMAS HOBGOOD, USAID DIRECTOR, WHO DELIVERED A 
SHORT SPEECH OUTLINING US SUPPORT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST 
HIV/AIDS BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND IN NIGERIA, 
REPRESENTED THE USG.  THE BODY OF HIS SPEECH IS AS 
FOLLOWS: 
 
 
 
 
 R. CHAIRMAN, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SENATE 
PRESIDENT, HONORABLE MINISTERS AND THEIR 
REPRESENTATIVES, MEMBERS OF THE HIGH TABLE, 
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, YOUNG PEOPLE OF 
NIGERIA, PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS HERE PRESENT, 
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 
 
 
I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE AND TO GIVE A GOODWILL 
MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF THE US GOVERNMENT ON THIS 
WORLD AIDS DAY.  THE US GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGES 
THE SERIOUSNESS OF HIV/AIDS FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 
AROUND THE WORLD.  LAST YEAR MORE PEOPLE 
CONTRACTED HIV AND MORE DIED OF AIDS THAN IN ANY 
OTHER YEAR. EIGHTY PERCENT OF ALL GLOBAL AIDS 
DEATHS AND 70 PERCENT OF ALL NEW HIV INFECTIONS 
ARE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.   AN ESTIMATED 34 
MILLION AFRICANS ARE CURRENTLY INFECTED WITH THE 
VIRUS AND OVER 3 MILLION OF THAT TOTAL ARE 
NIGERIANS.   WE ARE PARTICULARLY GRATIFIED TO SEE 
SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT 
LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT OBASANJO AND NGOS ALL 
INDICATING THEIR SUPPORT TO COMBAT THE AIDS 
EPIDEMIC IN NIGERIA.  THE EPIDEMIC HAS EVOLVED 
FROM A HEALTH ISSUE TO ONE THAT IMPACTS ON ALL 
SECTORS, THEREBY NECESSITATING A COLLECTIVE AND 
URGENT RESPONSE.   IN MANY COUNTRIES IT IS 
CONSIDERED A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY. 
 
 
US GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE INTERNATIONALLY: 
 
 
(A). THE UNITED STATES IS THE LARGEST BILATERAL 
DONOR OF HIV/AIDS ASSISTANCE, CURRENTLY PROVIDING 
NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF ALL INTERNATIONAL HIV/AIDS 
FUNDING. SINCE 1986, THROUGH THE U.S. AGENCY FOR 
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALONE, THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT HAS DEDICATED OVER $1.6 BILLION FOR THE 
PREVENTION AND MITIGATION OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC 
IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD. 
 
 
(B). THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS CONTINUED THIS 
LEADERSHIP.  THIS YEAR, USAID  HIV/AIDS BUDGET 
WILL INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR'S, AND PRESIDENT BUSH 
ANNOUNCED THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD BE THE 
FIRST DONOR TO THE NEW GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, 
TUBERCULOSIS, AND MALARIA, WITH AN INITIAL PLEDGE 
OF $200 MILLION. 
 
 
US GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE IN NIGERIA 
 
 
(A). THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE 
LARGEST BILATERAL DONORS OF HIV/AIDS ASSISTANCE IN 
NIGERIA.  THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL 
PROGRAM PROVIDES TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE AND MATERIAL 
SUPPORT AMOUNTING TO APPROXIMATELY $1.5 MILLION 
ANNUALLY. USAID FUNDING FOR HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS HAS 
INCREASED FROM $2.6 MILLION IN 1999 TO $12.3 
MILLION IN 2001, AND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN 
2003.  BOTH US GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS WORK TO PROMOTE 
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE HIV/AIDS EMERGENCY ACTION 
PLAN (HEAP) AND WORK CLOSELY WITH THE NATIONAL 
ACTION COMMITTEE ON AIDS (NACA). 
 
 
THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED UNDER THE CENTERS 
FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) PROGRAM ARE: 
 
 
(A). SUPPORT TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT 
HIV/SYPHILIS SEROPREVALENCE SURVEYS. 
SEROPREVALENCE SURVEYS ARE NECESSARY TO ESTIMATE 
THE MAGNITUDE OF THE HIV/AIDS PROBLEM IN NIGERIA 
AND ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE 
STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE EPIDEMIC.    THE FEDERAL 
MINISTER OF HEALTH ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF THE 
LATEST 2001 CDC SUPPORTED SURVEY ON THURSDAY. 
 
 
(B). BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF SELECT LABORATORIES 
TO PROVIDE QUALITY HIV TEST RESULTS.   FOR 
INSTANCE, THE CDC RECENTLY CONDUCTED A NEEDS 
ASSESSMENT AND PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 
THE ABUJA REFERENCE LABORATORY. 
 
 
(C). ESTABLISH VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL 
COUNSELING PROGRAMS.  SUCH PROGRAMS WILL SERVE AS 
CRITICAL ENTRY POINTS TO THE NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR 
PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION, CARE 
AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH AND THOSE 
AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS, MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY 
TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, AND IMPROVED BLOOD DONOR 
SERVICES. 
 
 
 
 
THE MAJOR FOCUSES OF THE USAID PROGRAM ARE: 
 
 
A). DEVELOPMENT OF A POSITIVE POLICY ENVIRONMENT 
IN SUPPORT OF HIGH QUALITY HIV/AIDS SERVICES.  THE 
POLICY PROJECT WORKS CLOSELY WITH NACA, THE 
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH  AIDS CONTROL PROGRAM, 
THE ARMED FORCES, JOURNALISTS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, 
AND HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS AMONG OTHERS TO CREATE 
WIDESPREAD GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY SUPPORT 
FOR HIV/AIDS INTERVENTIONS. 
 
 
B). PREVENTION:  NATIONWIDE, USAID CURRENTLY FUNDS 
A SOCIAL MARKETING PROJECT WITH POPULATION 
SERVICES INTERNATIONAL AND THE SOCIETY FOR FAMILY 
HEALTH, A LOCAL NGO, TO PROMOTE RISK REDUCTION 
BEHAVIOR AND USE OF PROVEN PREVENTIVE PRACTICES. 
THESE EFFORTS ARE COMPLIMENTED BY FAMILY HEALTH 
INTERNATIONAL  SUPPORT OF 56 COMMUNITY-BASED 
PROJECTS THAT TARGET MULTIPLE POPULATIONS IN 12 
STATES WITHIN THE 6 GEOPOLITICAL ZONES OF THE 
COUNTRY. JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY ALSO SUPPORTS 
THE ONLY PHONE HOTLINE FOR PEOPLE SEEKING 
CONFIDENTIAL, ANONYMOUS INFORMATION ABOUT THE 
 
SIPDIS 
DISEASE. 
 
 
C). CARE AND SUPPORT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH AND 
AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS: FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL, 
CEDPA, AND AFRICARE PROVIDE CARE AND SUPPORT 
SERVICES FOR HIV POSITIVE PERSONS AND THEIR 
FAMILIES AND ASSISTANCE TO ORPHANS AND OTHER 
VULNERABLE CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS. 
 
 
IN ADDITION TO THE EXCELLENT EFFORTS THE 
GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA IS MAKING TO FIGHT THIS 
TERRIBLE DISEASE, I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE 
VALIANT EFFORT OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH 
AS: 
 
 
(A) THE NIGERIAN AIDS ALLIANCE 
(B) SOCIETY FOR WOMEN AGAINST AIDS IN NIGERIA 
(SWAAN) 
(C) MUSLIMS SISTERS ORGANIZATION 
(D) CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA 
(E) NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS 
 
 
MR. CHAIRMAN, HONORABLE MINISTERS, AND SENATE 
PRESIDENT: YOU HAVE THE US GOVERNMENT  COMPLETE 
COMMITMENT AND FULL SUPPORT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST 
HIV/AIDS.  THANK YOU. ETER.