ASHENEWS reports that the Niger State Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare, Dr. Tukur Bello says that the state has the lowest prevalence rate for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the north-central.
According to him, 34,898 people are currently receiving treatment for HIV in the state.
The commissioner, stated this during a press conference to commemorate the 2023 World AIDS Day on Friday.
He said that the figures for HIV prevalence in the state have been fluctuating over the years, dropping to 0.7 percent.
The commissioner, represented by the permanent secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mohammed Gana disclosed that 2,209 pregnant women tested positive for HIV/AIDS between January and October 2023 in Niger state.
For early infant diagnosis, he said that 205 samples were collected out of which 8 of them tested positive.
“However, it is important to note that the HIV-positive ones were those who did not attend ANC services.”
The commissioner identified the major drivers of the HIV epidemic in the state to include key populations such as female sex workers, persons in correctional centers, gays and transgender, and those who abuse drugs through injections.
“Factors associated with the transmission of new infections include early sexual debut, poor pre-marital screening for HIV, sub-optimal HUV testing services especially amongst children and adolescents, poor knowledge on pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis services,” he added.
The commissioner noted that deliveries by unskilled birth attendants have also been identified as a challenge that has increased mother-to-child transmission.
To address rising cases of the infection, he noted that the state government has mapped out all delivery sites in both private and public health facilities and birth homes in the state to cater for HIV services in the state.
He said that 37 healthcare facilities in the state are currently offering comprehensive HIV services spread across three geo-political zones of the state.
At the community level, he said that teams have been set up at the local government areas to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
This year’s World AIDS Day is commemorated with the theme “Let Communities Lead” and domesticated in Nigeria as “Communities Leadership to end AIDS by 2030.”
