We are compelled to react to the story in The PUNCH of 16th of October, 2014 which, unfortunately, misinformed the public that a major programme being implemented by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) , in line with the "Global Plan towards the elimination of NEW. HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and keeping their Mothers 

Alive" is a "one-day political jamboree disguised as HIV/AIDS Conference in the Federal Capital Territory."

According to'fue,report, "Findings indicated that the event 'would be used to market President Goodluck  Jonathan's "achievements" in the Health Sector,  particularly, the progress purportedly recorded against HIV pandemic". 

The 'story is not only false; it is baseless and ludicrous, considering the following facts: 

1. The planned launch of the National Plan for the Elimination of New HIV infections among children by 2015-2016 and keeping their mothers alive is a continuous effort by the Federal Government of Nigeria through NACA, to reduce by 90% the number of new infections among children and to reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50%. 

2. The 2013 UNAIDS progress report on the Global Plan shows that as at the end of 2012, Nigeria accounted for 30% of new infections in the 21 priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2012, there were 60,000 new HIV infections among children. 

3. Achieving the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) is inextricably linked with and directly contributes to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially MDG 3 (gender equality), MDG 4 reduced child mortality), MDG 5 (improved maternal health and MDG 6 (combat HIV/AIDS). This positionseMTCT as an important part of the maternal and child health and the overall development 

agenda. 

4. Steps taken to ° address this issue include intensified efforts to rapidly scale-up Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services, which started in early 2012. 

You are aware that the President's Comprehensive Plan for HIV / AIDS (PCRP) was launched in 2013 and this marked a major commitment by the Government to accelerate the implementation of key interventions against HIV, including eMTCT. 

It is not true that the Federal Government did not purchase any anti-retroviral drugs in 2013 for about 3.4 million Nigerians estimated to be living with 

AIDS, neither has the percentage of clients under treatment dropped. Not only did the Federal Government purchase anti-retroviral drugs in 2013, some states also did. This made it possible for additional 150,000 people living with-HIV/AIDS to benefit from these life-saving drugs. The total number of people living with HIV / AIDS now benefitting from this treatment facilitated by the Federal Government and international partners now stand at over 650,000. 

The Federal Government is definitely not spending N1,593,875,000 on a "one-day jamboree disguised as HIV/AIDS conference." What will be launched in November is a comprehensive programme to eliminate mother-to-child transmission ofHIV, which will be implemented over a period of two years. The initiative is about saving Nigerians'lives. 

NACA operates an open-door policy and is media-friendly. Facts about the planned programme would have been given to the reporter on request. There was no need to publish this falsehood at a time that both the Government and the donor partners are stepping up efforts to win the battle against HIV / AIDS in Nigeria.