5:53 AM
Report form: mydailynewswatchng
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko, has revealed that the agency will screen 80 million Nigerians for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) between 2014 and 2015.
He said this was part of measures to further combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.
Prof. John Idoko who was represented by the Acting Director of Programme, NACA, Dr Pricilla Ibekwe, said NACA has drastically reduced the prevalence of AIDS, stressing that about 97% of Nigerians according to recent statistics tested negative to HIV.
He made this revelation known at the flag-off of HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Campaign and Medical Outreach organized by NACA in collaboration with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (OSSAP) on MDGs, in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
He called on Nigerians to know their HIV status by participating in the voluntary and free HIV Counseling and Testing programme organized by the Agency.
He noted that “HIV/AIDS is treatable once you test positive, “it is important to know your HIV status to help NACA fight AIDS in Nigeria, especially now that there is treatment for the disease. “We should not stigmatize those that are HIV positive because with the necessary treatment those that are positive can live normal lives and manage the virus.”
The NACA boss, however, lamented the rate of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS, stating that Nigeria currently has the highest rate in the world.
“Nigeria has a very high number of children born with HIV.
“In every 3 to 4 children one is HIV. There is need to prevent mother to child transmission,” he said.
Idoko recommended adequate antenatal care for pregnant women as a measure to reduce the number of children born with HIV.
His words, “it is possible for HIV positive mothers to have HIV negative children if necessary precautions are taken, like is obtained in civilized countries.”
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