Gov. Idris Wada of Kogi on Monday said that the current 5.8 per cent HIV prevalence rate in the state was worrisome and unacceptable to his administration.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Wada, who made the declaration at an event organised to mark the 2013 World AIDS Day in Lokoja, blamed the development on the people’s apathy to HIV testing and counselling.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Mr Yomi Awoniyi, said that the high prevalence rate of the disease was “the greatest public health challenge facing the state government at the moment’’.
He pledged to earmark more funds for HIV/AIDS-control efforts, while scaling up various aspects of HIV care and management, especially the advocacy on mother-to-child transmission so as to stem the spread of the virus.
He appealed to non-governmental organisations and local governments to increase their participation in HIV/AIDS programmes.
Wada said that the state government would take maximum advantage of the Presidential Comprehensive Response Plan to HIV/AIDS.
He directed the state Ministry of Health to immediately set up a management committee with appropriate personnel for the programme.
Hajia Rahinatu Bala, the Executive Secretary of Kogi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KOSACA), urged well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to support the agency’s efforts to reduce HIV prevalence rate in the state to zero per cent.
Bala said that 110, 849 persons were currently living with the disease in Kogi, adding that out of the figure, 7, 404 persons were currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment.
She said that in 2012, only 57, 408 people came out for HIV screening, urging more people to come out for the screening to enable them to know their health status.
NAN reports that a book entitled “HIV/AIDS: 40 Frequently Asked Questions”, authored by Mr Sunday Agbenyo, a person is living with the virus, was presented to the public during the event. (NAN)
