FCT, LAGOS AND OYO HAVE MORE HIV PEOPLE - NACA

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 12 states of the federation have been identified by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) as HIV endemic areas of the country.

"There are 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that accounts for 70 per cent of HIV burden in Nigeria, and that includes Cross River State, Prof. John Idoko, NACA Director-General, stated on Tuesday in Ikom, Cross River, at a four-day free HIV and AIDS Medical Outreach Pogramme.

The other states, he said, include 

FCT

Lagos

Oyo

Akwa Ibom

Benue

Kano

Crossriver

Kaduna

Imo

Sokoto

Plateau

Edo

Rivers. 

Idoko said that 3.2 million people were currently living with the virus in the country.

He said that based on 2012 national survey, the HIV prevalence rate had reduced from 3.6 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

Idoko, who was represented by Dr Priscilla Ibekwe, Acting Director, Programme Coordination Department, NACA, said the exercise was to provide opportunity for the people to know about their HIV status.

"We are here to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in addition to providing opportunity for people to know their HIV status. So we have taken a strategic approach to focus on these states knowing that resources are limited. We are encouraging and scaling-up programmes in the 12 plus one states.

"We are doing this in such a way that where the burden is, we want to get as many people for treatment as possible. Obviously around the whole country, work will also be going on regarding HIV, but in a strategic approach.

"When you have limited resources, you want to scale-up where the big problem is,’’ he said.