44,000 People Living With HIV In Taraba

The Director General National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Dr Gambo Aliyu has disclosed that 44,000 persons in the state are living with HIV.

Dr Aliyu said  this when he led officials of his agency and a delegation of the US Embassy led by Charge De Affair to Nigeria Madam Catylyn Gibon  on a visit to  Taraba State Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku  in Government House Jalingo.

Speaking at the event Dr Aliyu  said the team are in Taraba state to mark the beginning of a partnership between them and the state government in fighting against HIV and AIDS .

Aliyu said linking the three equipped General hospitals and the over 150 primary health care centers together, the state is better positioned to fight the scourge of HIV.

He added that  the only solution found for HIV is to keep those living  with the disease safe from others. "HIV is no longer transmitted from mother to child but this can only be made possible if a patient with the disease approaches trained health care officers on time for advice and treatment."

Madam Catylyn Gibon on her part lamented that only 38,000 out of the over 44,000 persons living with HIV in Taraba state have been identified  and  has been placed on treatment.

 She said identifying the remaining people is important in battling the disease in the state, noting that they are in the state with NACA to sustain the identification of these people living with the disease.

Gibon noted that   among the 1,700,000 people living with HIV in the country only 1,500,000 have been reached stressing that  they are in Taraba to continue the mop up and  identification of the remaining 200,000.

While applauding  Governor Ishaku  track records in the  health sector, Gibon said the state government has been supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS over the years  and with his recent support an end to HIV in the state has come.  

 Governor  Ishaku in his response   said the rate in HIV went down to 2.9 percent from 10.9 percent in less than two years showing the level of his commitment towards fighting this epidemic. 

The Governor assured them of his total cooperation in making sure that in the next one year Taraba state records zero level of HIV.

He said the three General Hospitals in the three Senatorial zones of the state will be a support base for whatever requirements that will be needed in terms of battling the virus in the state.

 The Governor said his administration has made tremendous impacts in the health sector across the state, promising to continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of people living in the state.