80,000 Test HIV Positive in Nassarawa State, NACA Reveals

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has revealed that about 80,000 individuals have been identified as HIV-positive and are currently receiving treatment in the state.

The Executive Director of Nasarawa State AIDS Control Agency, Dr. Ruth Bello gave the figure during a recent visit by the officials of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS to Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital at the weekend.

Bello further revealed that the prevalence rate of HIV in Nasarawa “has dropped to two percent. The state has scored very high in prevention and treatment with prevalence rate of HIV now at just two percent.”

In commending the effort of the state government, Bello said: “About 80,000 individuals have been identified as HIV-positive and are currently receiving treatment in the state. We have about 80,000 persons now identified with HIV and currently under treatment in the state.

“We also have a law against discrimination and stigma in the state, which has gone a long way in encouraging marriages between HIV negative persons and positive persons without infecting each other.”

Bello explained that one other significant progress made by Nassarawa state was the existence of a law against discrimination and stigma in Nasarawa State, which had contributed to fostering marriages between HIV-negative and positive individuals without the fear of transmission.

SACA’s Executive Director expressed commitment to eliminating discrimination and stigma, saying there was an ongoing partnership with religious and traditional leaders to further address these issues.

In her remark, the Coordinator of Antiretroviral Therapy, Dr. Esther Audu emphasized the importance of counselling in HIV treatment. 

She said that counselling plays a crucial role in determining individuals’ readiness for treatment, as the news of testing positive for HIV can be devastating and may lead to resistance towards initiating treatment.

Audu revealed that over 5,000 individuals are currently undergoing treatment in the state.

The Secretary of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Nasarawa chapter, Ruth Yakubu also shared her personal story of living with HIV for 18 years. 

She maintained that HIV “is not a death sentence and revealed that she has a HIV-negative husband and children.”

Yakubu attributed the success of the HIV response among her colleagues to NACA’s undetectable equals untransmittable campaign, which emphasizes viral suppression.

NACA’s Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocol at NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe said the purpose of the visit was to assess the HIV situation firsthand and engage with relevant stakeholders.

HIV weakens the immune system and hinders the body’s ability to combat infections and diseases. The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.

While there is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS, medication can effectively manage the infection and prevent disease progression.