The Anambra State Aids Control Agency, ANSACA, has reported that there are at least 98,960 individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Anambra.
Dr. Afam Obidike, the Commissioner for Health in Anambra, presented the statistics during a media briefing in Awka on Thursday. The briefing was held in anticipation of the 2023 World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1 since 1988.
World AIDS Day serves as a global initiative to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS while paying tribute to the lives impacted by the epidemic.
This year’s commemoration had the global theme ‘Let Communities Lead” and domesticated in Nigeria as ‘Communities’ Leadership to end AIDS by 2030′.
Obidike said: “With the national prevalence of 1.4 per cent, our state HIV prevalence is ranked 5th highest in the country and the highest in South-East.
“It is estimated that 98,960 residents are living with HIV. Of this number, 58 per cent know their status and only 44,808 are currently on treatment.”
New infections
He said the state was making the needed progress towards attaining the Global 95-95-95 targets, “of which we are at 65:81:93.”
“Worthy of note is the gradual decline in new infections which is at 46 per cent between 2021 and 2023 and AIDS related death which is at 32 per cent between 2021 and 2023.
“We have scaled up Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission services to ensure that no woman transmits this infection to her baby. The good news is that with the advent of Anti Retro-viral Therapy, ART, HIV is no longer a death sentence,” he said.
The Commissioner said the state was also scaling up access to HIV self-testing to tackle stigma and discrimination.
Dr. Afam Anaeme, Director of Public Health, characterized HIV/AIDS as a disease of significant public health concern.
Anaeme explained that the transmission of the disease occurs through various means, such as sexual activities, mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, labor, delivery, breastfeeding, blood transfusion, and risky sexual behaviors.
He emphasized the importance of community participation in the planning, execution, and oversight of HIV programs, ensuring access to relevant prevention, treatment, and care services.
“Communities are people living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV and they need to lead the frontline of progress in the HIV response.”
“With the participation of everyone, we can reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Anambra,” he said.
In his statement, Mr. Johnbosco Ementa, Executive Director of ANSACA, encouraged residents to utilize the available free testing centers across the state to determine their HIV status.
He mentioned that, in collaboration with implementing partners, the state government has expanded the number of HIV treatment sites from 104 to 1,182.
“ANSACA also deployed mobile testing units, home-based testing, and community outreaches, to significantly improve HIV testing coverage and accessibility.”
“We appreciate our partners – Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, AIDS Health-care Foundation, UNAIDS, CHAI and Global Fund for their support,” he said.