George Okoh in Makurdi
The Executive Secretary of the Benue State AIDS Control Agency, Dr. Jacob Awodi, has disclosed that the prevalence of HIV AIDS in Benue State has significantly dropped from 16.8 percent to 4.9 percent even as he stated that the fight is not over yet.
Awodi stressed that the agency and partners such as Global Funds, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF, among other international organisations are collaborating to ensure the figure continues to go down.
He said: “At the initial stage, we had 16.8 per cent, currently according to NAIIRS’s survey, it has dropped to 4.9 percent but the fight is not over yet. We have 263,000 people who are HIV AIDS positive and are placed on treatment.”
He disclosed that continued attacks on Benue residents by suspected armed bandits, herdsmen as well as flooding, which rendered many people homeless, have hampered effective fight against HIV, AIDS pandemic in the state.
While fielding questions from reporters in Makurdi, he expressed concerned that most of the patients find it difficult to access the drugs, leading to resistance of the virus.
“Insecurity and flooding have affected our fight against HIV and AIDS because people on treatment are being displaced on a daily basis, so they find it difficult to access the drugs, leading to resistance of the virus,” he said.
Awodi assured that the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia’s administration would create an enabling environment for implementing partners to intervene, adding that with the Governor’s disposition, he will release counterpart funds.
He identified lack of vehicles and manpower as major challenges confronting the agency, and appealed to the governor to intervene to enable them render effective service.
