Kaduna: One In 100 People Has AIDS, Says KADSACA

The Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Aids Control Agency (KADSACA), Dr Isa Baka said a survey has revealed that one out of 100 people is positive for the AIDS virus in the state.

Baka disclosed this on Thursday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after a walk in commemoration of World AIDS Day on Thursday in Kaduna.

The theme of the year's World AIDS Day is “Equalise to End AIDS: Equal Access to Treatment and Prevention Services’’.

According to him, the said present statistic is a remarkable development against the previous survey which gave 11 of every 100 people in the state.

Baka added that the AIDS prevalence in Kaduna, which is at 1.1, being a survey carried out by the state government itself, was later done at the national level, where that of Kaduna was confirmed as very accurate.

“At the national level, the prevalence of the virus (AIDS) was at 1.4 (four people out of 100 test positive), while that of Kaduna is confirmed to be 1.1, was in the determination of the state government and KADSACA’s efforts to ensure the minimal prevalence of the virus,” he said.

He said as part of efforts to continue reducing the prevalence of AIDS in the state, the government initiated programmes across the 23 LGAs.

Baka disclosed that one of the UNICEF-anchored programmes, which is the ‘Adolescent and Youths Living With HIV and AIDS’ programme, is present and effective in at least, 18 LGAs and 24 sites in the state.

“There is also a partner agency, the Centre for Integrated Disease Health Project in Kaduna State, which we are collaborating with; their programme spans the 23 LGAs, having 56 sites all across.

“There is a programme in both rural and urban places; it is misunderstood that the rural people have more prevalence of AIDS, the difference is just level of awareness; but in every rural area, there is at least one general hospital and one primary health care centre.

“They provide testing, counselling, treatment and monitoring services; one good thing about the programme is that the Kaduna Government is one of the first in the country to make provision for the services free for every citizen,” Baka added.