The survey to determine the prevalence rate of people living with HIV in Nigeria by the Nigerian HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) has shown that Akwa Ibom state has the highest number of people living with the virus in Nigeria followed by Benue state.
The survey revealed that out of the about 1.9 million Nigerians living with HIV, about 5.5 per cent live in Akwa Ibom State, followed by Benue State, which has about 5.3 per cent prevalence rate. The survey showed that the North-West has the lowest prevalence rate at 0.6 per cent, the South-South geopolitical zone has the highest with 3.1 per cent.
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Sani Aliyu, while Speaking during the announcement of the NAIIS result on Thursday 14th March, 2019 at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja stated that the percentage of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Nigeria, among the age group of 15-49 years, is 1.4 per cent (1.9 per cent among females and 0.9 per cent among males.)
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated that the prevalence rate revealed for the different states was not to engender stigmatization or to start playing a blame game among states. The minister stated that the government will take a holistic look at the report to help in planning HIV interventions in the country.
He stated that Benue State has one of the largest interventions programme in the country, so that is also expected to yield results. He added that, “It would have been frustrating if with those interventions, we now have 10 per cent in Benue state.” He however expressed happiness in the downward trend of the prevalence of HIV in Benue State.
David Young, Charge de Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America in his goodwill message, said that, “Beyond the data, the survey has proved the capacity of Nigerians working together in solidarity with one another to rise and resolve challenges regarding the health and well being of their brothers and sisters. He added that, “The US government is proud to support Nigeria in conducting the NAIIS survey.”
Mahesh Swaminathan who is the Country Director, Center for Disease Control Nigeria (CDC), said the results will help the government improve it efforts in the fight against the virus. He referred to the result as an encouraging result which will help the Government of Nigeria to intensify efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS to achieve epidemic control. He added that the CDC will work closely with the Nigerian government in tackling the HIV epidemics in the country until the battle is fully won and HIV/AIDS defeated.
