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From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Gombe State has joined the rest of the world to mark the 2023 World AIDS Day. Stating its target for 2024 in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state.
According to the Gombe State Agency for the Control of Aids (GomSACA), testing is the first step towards treatment and prevention. This was stated by the Project Manager (PM) of GomSACA, Hassan Dawaki while speaking at an event to mark World AIDS Day in Gombe. However, the PM revealed that despite the importance of the HIV test the rates of the test among high school students in the state are very low.
“Without testing, HIV-positive individuals may not know their status and unknowingly transmit the virus to others,” Dawaki stated while appreciating the effort of the state government, the Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP), and the Society for Family Health (SFH) as well as other implementing partners in support HIV response in the state.
He said, “GomSACA wishes to request more test kits and consumables to enable us to test at least 100,000 people in 2024 out of the over 3 million people of the state. It will help us to intensify case finding in the community to enhance effective HIV/AIDS response in the state”.
Meanwhile, the national Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Mr Absolom Habila revealed that there is a need for state governments to develop better treatment and care packages for already identified cases to encourage volunteer testing.
“How will people come out and get tested when those tested and identified to be HIV positive are not being properly cared for. The governments need to gear up in caring for people with HIV, this will help in encouraging more people to get tested and also minimise the spread of the virus,” Habila told Daily Sun in an interview.
