HIV/AIDS: One out of 100 persons positive in Kaduna –Agency

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

Baka disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria shortly after a walk, in commemoration of the 2022 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’’.

He said the present statistics were 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.

He said one of the UNICEF-anchored programmes, which is the ‘Adolescent and Youths Living With HIV and AIDS’ programme, was 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 said.

The executive secretary lamented that the virus, which did not have a genetic code, was a disturbing problem that made it difficult for scientists to find a vaccine for it.

“The virus fits mainly the genetic code of the victim, as such if you try to kill it, you are killing the victim’s cells because it infects and destroys the blood cells and then keeps multiplying,” he said.

He, however, said with diligent efforts, the joy was that scientists were able to find drugs that suppress the virus and prevent it from infecting its host cells which stops it from destroying the host immune cells.

He explained that women were more susceptible to being infected with the virus, noting, however, that it didn’t imply that they were more in the number of people having the virus than men.

“It is a misrepresentation of the disease that more women test positive for it than men; the difference between both genders suffering from it is very minimal,” he said.

The executive secretary called on people to abstain from indiscriminate sex and always use contraceptives as the situation may be.

“Where people have unprotected sex, upon realisation, they should immediately wash themselves up and go to the hospital for preventive treatment within 24 hours.”

He also called on health workers to ensure safety by using preventive equipment and adhering to guidelines and rules in the treatment and examination of patience.

He also advised on proper screening of blood, before ingesting patience who are in need.