The NACA DG described the survey as the single largest federal survey done on HIV/AIDS, [to determine the] number of people living with HIV/AIDS who need health services.
Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
1.1 million persons are currently on treatment for HIV in Nigeria, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA), Dr. Sani Aliyu, has disclosed.
Aliyu, gave this disclosure in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while speaking with newsmen during his advocacy visit to the southwestern state on the ongoing Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS).
The NACA DG, who described the survey as the single largest federal survey ever done on HIV/AIDS, said that, at the completion of the survey, government would have the accurate number of people living with HIV/AIDS who need health services.
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He added the survey, which will be on for six months throughout the 36 states, including the FCT, would equally help the government in allocating resources to the fight the epidemic and improve the health of Nigerians.
The survey, Aliyu said, has reached 90 percentage completion, and 112 enumeration areas have been covered in Ogun State, while disclosing that 17,000 persons had been discovered to be on treatment for HIV in the state, of which 800 are pregnant women.
While commending the state government for providing logistical support for the NAIIS, the DG said the agency would further solicit cooperation of traditional and community leaders to ensure the survey is a success.
In his remark, Commissioner for Health Babatunde Ipaye, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Nofiu Aigoro, assured the DG of the readiness of the state to cooperate with NACA in its fight to stem the scourge of HIV/AIDS.