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Tag: HIV

  • BREAKING: Meet second patient, Adam Castillejo cured of HIV in London

    BREAKING: Meet second patient, Adam Castillejo cured of HIV in London

    A man from London has become the second person in the world to be cured of HIV, doctors say.

    Adam Castillejo is still free of the virus more than 30 months after stopping anti-retroviral therapy.

    He was not cured by the HIV drugs, however, but by a stem-cell treatment he received for a cancer he also had, the Lancet HIV journal reports.

    The donors of those stem cells have an uncommon gene that gives them, and now Mr Castillejo, protection against HIV.

    In 2011, Timothy Brown, the “Berlin Patient” became the first person reported as cured of HIV, three and half years after having similar treatment.

    Stem-cell transplants appear to stop the virus being able to replicate inside the body by replacing the patient’s own immune cells with donor ones that resist HIV infection.

    Adam Castillejo – the now 40-year-old “London Patient” who has decided to go public with his identity – has no detectable active HIV infection in his blood, semen or tissues, his doctors say.

    It is now a year after they first announced he was clear of the virus and he still remains free of HIV.

    Source: BBC

  • ‘Hepatitis B more infectious than HIV’

    Dr Bello Kumo, a consultant Gastroenterologist with Ahamadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, says Hepatitis B
    Virus (HBV) is more infectious than HIV.

    Kumo stated this in a paper entitled “Face to Face with Hepatitis B: Cost and Burden”, presented at a public lecture organised by Kashim Ibrahim Fellows (KIF)
    in Kaduna on Thursday.

    The consultant, who expressed concern that not many people have knowledge about the disease, added that
    multitude of patients were not identified early enough and managed.

    He explained that the virus could be transmitted through contact with blood and body fluid, adding that it could infect nearly everyone that came into
    contact with anyone suffering from it through sharp objects and open wounds.

    According to him, there is no known cure for chronic HBV, stressing that prevention remains the best option.

    He added that “but to prevent, people must first know their status so that if they are negative, they can be vaccinated, which gives up to 95 per cent prevention.

    “And those who tested positive can begin treatment and managing the virus to avoid its spread.”

    Dr Muhammad Saleh, a medical doctor, described HBV as a silent killer, stressing the need for massive awareness campaign.

    Saleh said in his lecture on “Hepatitis B: Finding the Missing Millions”, that not much would be achieved if infected persons were not located and placed on treatment.

    He noted that “HBV has been silently ravaging the country’s population. There is need for prevention through awareness, community sensitisation and scaling-up of
    screening services.”

    Gov Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State commended KIF for organising the lecture, saying that the efforts would give people living with HBV a voice and raise the needed awareness
    on prevention.

    El-Rufa’i, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, said HBV had been neglected for long, overlooked by governments and misunderstood by the public.

    He said “I commend KIF for supporting our government to draw attention to the scourge of the virus and ways to treat, manage and prevent its spread.

    “Each activity we undertook takes us a step further toward eliminating the virus in our communities and raising awareness is a crucial window to treatment, management and prevention.

    “Active collaboration is central toward eliminating HBV, as such, we all have a part to play and dedicating a whole week to create awareness and draw attention of stakeholders
    is truly a great step.”

    The governor explained that the one-year KIF programme was initiated by Kaduna State Government to improve the capacity of young people and build a
    new crop of leaders for efficient public service in the country.

    He said his administration would continue to provide opportunities for the youth to excel through people-oriented policies and programmes.

    One of the KFI fellow, Michael Medubi, explained that the public lecture was part of a five-day KIF community service to educate and sensitise people on HBV.

    Medubi said that the fellow had on Monday sensitised, counselled and provided testing services to students and staff of Kaduna Polytechnic and on Tuesday,
    trained 120 hairdressers and barbers on best practices.

    “On Wednesday, the foundation sensitised people at Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Central Market, Kaduna, on ways to prevent infection.”

  • Police arrest ‘Reverend’ for allegedly defiling, infecting 15 teenage boys with HIV

    Police arrest ‘Reverend’ for allegedly defiling, infecting 15 teenage boys with HIV

    The Lagos State police command says it has arrested a clergyman, Reverend Ezuma Chizemdere of ‘Jesus Intervention Household Ministry’ Ejigbo Lagos for allegedly defiling and infecting some minors with HIV virus.

    According to a statement on Friday by the command’s spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, the clergy had been at large for about three months before his arrest on March 21.

    Elkana says that On January 21, a case of defilement of a minor (name withheld) by penetration was reported by a good Samaritan at Ejigbo Police Station.

    He says that investigation revealed that the suspect had lured about 15 young boys into his residence, where he allegedly sexually molested them.

    “Investigation carried out revealed that one Rev. Prince Ezuma Chizemdere, Founder of ‘Jesus Intervention Household Ministry’ was part of the syndicate defiling teenagers in the community.

    “He has been at large for about three months. On 21st March 2019, at about 1 am, police laid siege of the Reverend’s residence based on the strength of information gathered that he often sneaks into the house through the back entrance.

    “Having discovered that police had cordoned his house, the Reverend hid in the ceiling for two hours. He was however arrested.

    “Investigation has it that Rev. Ezuma brought in about 15 boys into his apartment where he forcefully penetrated them all through the anus.

    “Some members of the neighbourhood revealed that the reverend usually washes six bedsheets daily whenever he brings in little children, suspected to be his sex partners.

    “On further interrogation, the “Reverend” revealed that he was HIV positive and has been receiving treatment for over three years,” Elkana says.

    The police image maker says one Ikem Shedrack, 16, was part of the victims and was infected by the reverend around October 2018.

    Furthermore, Elkana says that the suspect knew he was HIV positive but was deliberately infecting the innocent teenagers.

    “He further confessed that he pays the boys N2000 each, anytime he has carnal knowledge of them. The suspect will be charged to court.,” he states.

    Also, the spokesman says the Command’s Gender Unit succeeded in arresting one Ajayi Akintunde, 29, a teacher with Fazir Omar Senior High School, Iwaya, Yaba for having oral sex with a female SS2 student for marks.

    He says the defilement started when the girl was in SS1 and had lasted for about two years now.

    He says an investigation is still ongoing concerning the matter.

  • ‘1 in 5 Nigerian youth unaware of HIV status’

    ‘1 in 5 Nigerian youth unaware of HIV status’

    One out of every five Nigerian youth has never tested for HIV, Dr Juliet EIwelunmor, a medical researcher at Saint Louis University, USA, said on Friday, in Lagos.

    Iwelunmor told newsmen at a news conference in Lagos, to commence the I-Test Project in commemoration of the World AIDs Day marked every Dec.1.

    She said that an estimated 32 per cent of the general population living with HIV in Nigeria, were unaware of their status and the youth formed majority of the group.

    Iwelunmor, who is also a principal investigator in the I-Test Project, said that many youth refused to test for their HIV status due to fear, stigma, discrimination and lack of confidentiality.

    She said that the Nigerian Government established a self testing programme in 2016, to enable people test themselves in the confines of their home to avoid the fear of going to a health facility for the test.

    According to her, many youth are yet to key into the self testing programme.

    “According to recent data by the Nigerian Nationals HIV/AIDs Strategic Framework, many Nigerian youth are still not aware of their HIV status, which is not good for the future of the country.

    “In order to address this problem, the I-Test Project with the theme ‘World AIDs Day HIV Self-Testing Contest’, was launched to allow the youth themselves come up with unique ideas that will promote self-testing among them.

    “The I-Test Project is being sponsored by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in partnership with New York University, Saint Louis University, Lagos State AIDs Control Agency (LASACA) and ID Africa.

    “The project allowed creative and talented youth to pitch innovative ideas to promote HIV self-testing and voice their health concerns,” she said.

    Iwelunmor said the 20 finalists had been selected out of the 903 entries from the youth, to pitch and suggest ways to promote HIV Self-Testing among young people in Nigeria at the World AIDs Day programme on Saturday.

    Also speaking, Dr Oliver Ezechi, Medical Researcher at NIMR, said that in spite of interventions, about 3.2 million Nigerians were still living with HIV.

    “We hope that this project will help tackle issues such as HIV testing as it is an opportunity to partner with the youth and make them leaders and ambassadors in the fight against HIV/AIDs in the country,” he said.

    In her remarks, Dr Sule Omolola, Advocacy Lead, LASACA, said the project would drive the country to achieving the UNAIDS ‘90-90-90 targets’ of 2020.

    “In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) and partners set the ‘90-90-90 targets aiming to diagnose 90 per cent of all HIV positive people, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90 per cent of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 90 per cent of those treated, by 2020.

    “Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world and we hope to intensify all efforts towards achieving this target,” she said.

  • U.S. donates N32bn to conduct HIV/AIDS census in Nigeria

    U.S. donates N32bn to conduct HIV/AIDS census in Nigeria

    The United States Government has donated $90m (N32bn) to Nigeria for the HIV/AIDS survey that will take place across the country starting from June.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the United States Government in Abuja on Thursday.

    The survey, which has been tagged, ‘Nigeria AIDS Indicators and Impact Survey,’ will have a sample size of 170,000 people and is expected to last for about six months.

    The exercise, which is the largest survey of HIV/AIDS in the world, will take place across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Adewole said the American government had directly supported the survey with about $90m and, indirectly, through other partners.

    The minister said, “The resources for the survey are largely from the US government. Directly, they are giving us about $90m; and indirectly, they are working with other partners to ensure the success of the survey.”

    Adewole, who spoke on the importance of the survey, said, “The survey will put behind us the concept of making guess work in terms of burden of HIV disease in Nigeria.

    “We do not know how many people are infected; so, this study will enable us get a precise number.

    “This survey is not only about HIV, but about Hepatitis B and C.

    “This survey will also help us to drive forward the agenda to rid Nigeria of Hepatitis C. As you know, Hepatitis C now has a cure.

    “Also, people who test positive will be placed on treatment, as having HIV is not the end of the world.”

    Adewole said politics would not be involved in the process, even as he promised that the result of the survey would be published “so that we can discover the real state of HIV in the country.

    “It will serve as a drive to our effort to control the epidemic.”

    Also speaking, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, urged Nigerians and interested groups to ensure that the exercise was a success.

    He said the world was watching and a successful survey would make Nigeria a shining example and ultimately help bring the HIV epidemic under control.

    Symington said, said “An epidemic control has not yet been achieved anywhere, but with this effort the government of Nigeria in partnership with this extra ordinary team of partners funded by every man, woman and child in the United States of America, a huge success will be achieved. As one thing everyone can do this year, is to help make this survey a success.”

    The Director-General of NACA, Sani Aliyu, said the survey would help solve the problem of accurate data and also more precise information of the coverage of HIV in Nigeria.

    Aliyu urged Nigerians to participate in the survey, to enable accurate and precise results.

  • HIV/AIDS campaign: UNICEF seeks more involvement of traditional rulers

    UNICEF has called for more involvement of traditional rulers to help reduce the prevelance of HIV and AIDS among adolescent and young persons in Kaduna State.

    Representative of UNICEF Adolescent and Intervention Programme (AYP), Alhaji Idris Baba, made the appeal during a stakeholders meeting on Thursday in Kaduna.

    Baba said “with AYP we realise the need to involve other stakeholders within the communities like traditional rulers, religious leaders and policy markers.

    He said UNICEF had been actively working around HIV interventions focusing around young persons in the state.

    According to him, the priority areas around the state includes Jaba, Jamaa, Lere, Igabi, Chikun and Birnin Gwari local government areas.

    Baba said the areas were priotiesed based identified factors including behavioural peculiarities, socio-economic activities and educational levels.

    According to him, from the beginning of the intervention programme in 2017 last year, UNICEF have been carrying out regular reviews with aims of making adjustments on the intervention services were they are needed.

    He explained that the meeting was designed to rub minds, introduce other intervention learning interventions of international perspective to the state, saying the more sharper the better results”.

    The Executive Secretary, KADSACA, Mr David Anthony, said there was very high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in about three per cent of young people leaving with the virus in the state.

    “The virus prevalence rate was higher; almost about three per cent of the general percentage,” Anthony said.

    According to him, by 2014 about 19,000 adolescents and young people do not know their HIV and AIDS status as only adults responded.

    He noted that the young persons were subdued under the response programme which resulted to the high prevalence among them.

    The scribe said that the introduction of global best practices and new intervention strategies encouraged young persons to embrace the response programme beginning with Jaba and Jamaa local government areas .

    He said adolescents and young persons between the age of 10 and 24 were trained to provide HIV services,
    counselling and testing through personal communication and mobile HTC programme.

    “Also youth friendly facilities were provide for HIV and testing in the two local government areas which was later scale up to seven.”

    He stressed the need to ensure that critical stakeholders were involved in the response to see how they can support apart from providing moral support to see that the young reach out to young persons in these communities and ensure that have access to this service.

    “We were able to train over 300 demand creators who able to mobilised about 362 adolescents and young persons who have been able to access HIV testing services.

    “Out of those that were reached with interpersonal communication over 79 per cent were tested and about 273 of them were found positive.

    “If you look at this you have prevalence rate of 0.3 per cent as against the high rate,” he said.

    He called for further involvement of all the 23 local government areas to ensure that they adopt the strategies aimed at making antiretroviral drugs available to adolescents and young persons at designated facilities.

    According to him, the state government had procured the antiretroviral drugs to ensure they are available within those communities.

    Mr Iliya Bako, who represented Jaba Local Government traditional council, said traditional rulers normally hold meetings every Friday with emphasis to district heads to sensitise youths on the dangers of HIV and Aids.

    He said the traditional institution has been carrying sensitisation to churches and mosques and other public places.

    He attributed the initial prevalence of HIV and AIDS in his area to lack of awareness, saying “but now that the awareness has come the prevalence rate is down seriously”.

    Bako added that “because of this awareness people don’t stigmatise those leaving with HIV and AIDS” anymore.

     

    Over 3m people living with HIV in Nigeria – USAIDS

     

  • 51-year-old HIV-positive man allegedly commits suicide

    A mentally challenged HIV-positive man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Monday.

    The late 51- year-old from Mavikane Village in Zimbabwe was believed to have suicidal tendencies and would regularly threaten to kill himself saying he was tired of regularly swallowing pills.

    He allegedly hung himself in his own home, in the absence of his wife who had travelled to Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo.

    His brother, Mika Ngwenya, found him helplessly dangling from the roof around 6.30am.

    “His wife left for Bulawayo at 5am and told me to check on him. I went there around 6.30am and was shocked when I saw him already dead,” he said.

    Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Province, Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, said she was yet to receive the report from the wife of the deceased.

    Iharare.com

  • Court sentences man to death for killing wife who infected him with HIV

    An Ikeja High Court on Tuesday sentenced one Katungi Phillips to death for stabbing his wife, Justina James, to death for allegedly infecting him with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

    Justice Raliatu Adebiyi, sentenced Phillips after finding him guilty of murder.

    “The prosecution was able to prove by cogent circumstantial evidence that the defendant intended to kill the deceased.

    “I hereby find the defendant guilty of the murder of Justina James.

    “In view of the mandatory sentence for murder in Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011,the defendant, Katungi Phillips is hereby sentenced to death, may the Lord have mercy on his soul,” Adebiyi said.

    Adebiyi, in her judgment rejected Phillips defence of provocation.

    The judge said that the multiple stab wounds inflicted on Justina by Phillips were excessive in comparison to the single stab wound the convict sustained.

    Adebiyi said that based on the evidence before her, the defence of provocation was not plausible and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt

    According to the prosecution led by Mrs O. R Ahmed-Muili, the convict committed the offence at 3.21 a.m. on July 26, 2014 at his residence at Pako House, Oniru, Lagos.

    Ahmed-Muili said that the convict, who had been married to Justina for two-years, stabbed on her body with a kitchen knife after discovering that she had allegedly infected him with HIV.

    “After discovering that she had allegedly infected him with the virus, the deceased threatened to leave him for another man.

    “He stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife during the ensuing argument and he also attempted to kill himself by stabbing himself in the abdomen with the knife,” she said.

    The police arraigned Phillips on Feb. 8, 2016.

    The prosecution called four witnesses, three police officers and the sister of the deceased to testify during the trial.

    Insp Alexander Onoja, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) during his testimony at the trial said that the defendant confessed to the police to have stabbed his wife.

    “He confessed that he murdered his wife because he discovered they were both HIV positive and he was infected through her.

    “He alleged that she informed him that she was leaving him for another man,” he said.

    The IPO said that when the police visited the crime scene Justina was already dead.

    He said police found Phillips laying beside her corpse with a knife wound to his abdomen.

    Philips, however, in his submission during the trial, using the defence of provocation, said his wife was stabbed while they were arguing over his missing mobile phone.

    “We were arguing over my missing phone, she stabbed me with the kitchen knife, I grabbed the knife from her hands and stabbed her once,” Phillips told the court.

  • Valentine: Share love, not HIV, NACA warns Nigerians

    …says 15 percent of Nigerian youth lose virginity before age 15

    The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has said more young Nigerians are engaging in sex much earlier.

    This was revealed by the Director-General of the agency, Sani Aliyu. according to him, at least 15 per cent of Nigerian youth now lose their virginity before the age of 15.

    The agency also raised an alarm that the Nigerian youth are increasingly engaging in unprotected sex and having multiple sexual partners.

    The alarm was ahead of the Valentine’s Day on February 14, warning the youth to “Share love and not HIV,” according to a statement Tuesday by the spokesperson of the agency, Toyin Aderibigbe.

    He said about 4.2 per cent of Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 24 have HIV.

    “The first sexual contact in Nigeria begins at less than 15 years for 15 per cent of Nigeria’s youths. This, coupled with the practice of having multiple sexual partners, increases HIV vulnerability among the youth population alongside the very low HIV testing rates – only 17 per cent of young people know their HIV status”, the NACA boss said.

    He said the Valentine period should not be seen as an opportunity for unbridled sexual intercourse.

    “This period is particularly noted for young people expressing their love for one another. This could lead to impulsive decisions such as unprotected sex resulting in unplanned pregnancies and an increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

    “Nigerians, especially the youths should express love within the context of caring deeply for their loved ones and avoid risky behaviour that will make them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other STDs.”

    Aliyu urged couples to seize the opportunity to check their HIV status.

    He said it was important that all Nigerians should know their HIV status, as it marked the entry point to prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS.

    “A young person not tested may not have the opportunity to enjoy future Valentine’s Days if he or she is diagnosed late or presents with terminal complications related to HIV infection and AIDS.

    “The new HIV infections are currently highest among young people aged 15-24 years. It is important to reduce this worrying trend among the Nigerian youths by encouraging faithful relationships for those who cannot abstain from sex, and the use of barrier protection such as condoms, which prevents STDs, including HIV and unwanted pregnancies,” he said.

  • I deny my husband sex for fear of contracting HIV – wife tells court

    I deny my husband sex for fear of contracting HIV – wife tells court

    A housewife, Bayonle Bamidele, on Tuesday told an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court in Agodi, Ibadan, that she denied her husband, Adeyemi Bamidele, sex for fear of contracting HIV.

    Bayonle said this in court while defending herself in a divorce suit filed by her husband over her refusal to have sex with him.

    She said her husband was a womaniser who always brought his female friends to their matrimonial home.

    ”I have warned him to stop promiscuity to avoid contracting HIV, but he didn’t listen to me.

    ”So, I denied him sex for fear of contracting HIV due to his carefree sexual attitude,” she said.

    Bayonle urged the court to grant the request of her husband, saying she was not ready to give her body to a flirt.

    The husband, a retiree, had approached the court for dissolution of his eight-year marriage with Bayonle on the ground that she denied him sex.

    He also alleged that the defendant always beat him and threaten to kill him whenever he demanded for sex.

    ”My lord, I marry her to give me kids and satisfy my sexual urge, but the reverse was the case.

    ”The union of eight years is yet to produce a child, worst still, she deny me sex and beat me whenever I make move to sleep with her.

    ”She is a wicked woman, am tired of living with a wife that refused to give me sex,” he said.

    The President of the Court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, dissolved the marriage and directed the plaintiff to pay N5, 000 to the defendant to pack her belongings from the plaintiff’s house.

    He also warned the parties to restrain from trouble, but to go their separate ways.