The Executive Director, Rivers State Agency for Control; of. HIV/AIDS Dr. Chimezie Okeh said, the agency is winning the war against H1V/AIDS. Dr Okeh dropped the hint in an interview with journalists in Port Harcourt.
Briefing the Newsmen, the Executive Director stated that there are number of factors that are responsible for the drastic reduction of the number of new infected persons in the state which is .due to the proactive measure taken by the agency.
Dr Okeh explained that the war against HIV/AIDS is all embracing, whereby the agency, the state government and the donor is doing, everything possible to reduce the infection in the state especially in the rural areas. He stated that the old data since 2010 is still in use which suppose to be updated every 2 years.
The Executive Director further explained that the campaign against HIV/AIDS has been expanded where more private doctors are included to fight the disease. He stated that the number of new infection is on the decline due to the behaviour of the virus as more people are of it. Also, there are effective and treatment of over 150 centers spread across the state, while, rejecting the 52.2% of infected people with HIV/AIDS according to the federal government data.
Dr. Okeh pointed that the strict adherence to the use of condom has also reduce the spread of the scourge Dr. Okeh attributed the success on high level of awareness, where people are coming for voluntary test and each 200 persons only about 2′ cases of persons contacting HIV/AIDS unlike before where many were tested positive.
We are on the winning tracks because of regular testing of blood transfusion also people are taken preventive measures, many treatrncnt.cefltersare.0P1h, drug made free as much attentions is given to people about mother to child transmissions” he said.
The awareness in place, he said chess away stigma and now 18 NGOS according Dr. Okey has moved into rural villages targeting vulnerable groups such as commercial sex workers, road transport workers, homosexual uniform men, marine workers, road transport workers, and community youth among others.
Dr. Okeh advised all to be careful of this scourge as HIV/AIDS is more difficult to manage than malaria, adding that it is burdensome to treat both on individual and the government, saying HIV/AIDS is still in existence. ###
Mene Gbarabe
