From John Adams, Minna
The Niger State Government has said that no fewer than 2,209 pregnant women are said to be living the HIV/AIDS in the state as at November, 2023, a sharp increase the figure compared to 63 pregnant women that were tested positive in 2022.
The Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health care in the state, Dr. Bello Tukur who disclosed this in Minna on Friday in a press briefing as part of activities marking this year’s HIV/AIDS Day, stated further that a total of 34,898 people, including key populations are living with the disease and receiving treatment in the state.
This figures, he pointed out were obtained from the 37 heath care facilities offering comprehensive HIV/AIDS services across the three geo-political zone that make up the 25 local government areas of the state.
The commissioner who was represented at the briefing by the permanent in the ministry, Dr. Mohammed Gana disclosed that between January and October this year alone, 28,268 pregnant attended Anti Natal Care (ANC), out of which, 2,209 were found to be positive of the disease, stressing that “2,187 of this number representing 99 percent were linked to treatment’.
He further stated that within the period under review, a total number of Infants who had a first virologic HIV test stood at 205 and out of this number eight, representing four percent were found to be HIV positive.
Currently, he disclosed that the HIV prevalence has dropped to 0.7 percent, making, the state the lowest in the entire North Central Zone of the country.
He attributed what he called “remarkable achievements” in the state to the strong political will of the state government and the enabling environment that was created for all implementing partners to work effectively.
He pointed out that the main drivers of the epidemic in the state are members of the key population which include female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons in correctional facilities and persons who inject drugs, saying that “deliveries by unskilled personnel have been shown to be a major factor that that increase mother to child transmission of HIV”.
According to him, the theme of this year world HIV/AIDS day; “let communities lead” was carefully chosen “because of the critical role that communities play in the in the HIV response. Communities have found to connect people with person-centered-public health services”.