BY: News Peddlers
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According to Habu Dahiru, the Gombe State Commissioner for Health, 486,000 people have been tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) since January, with approximately 43,000 infected.
Mr. Dahiru made the announcement in Gombe on Wednesday while speaking to journalists as part of activities marking World AIDS Day on December 1 with the theme "Equality."
According to him, 300,000 people in the state, including 186,000 pregnant women, have been tested in the last 11 months.
The commissioner stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya prioritized the health sector, including HIV responses, by allocating additional funds, primarily for the purchase of testing kits, drugs for the treatment of opportunistic infections, and laboratory reagents.
"The first step in receiving treatment is HIV testing. When a person is diagnosed with HIV early, they begin treatment right away; if they adhere to it, they will achieve viral suppression, making them less likely to transmit the virus.
"This will significantly help our state's goal of eliminating AIDS by 2030. Around 43,000 people in the state are HIV positive," he said.
Mr. Dahiru went on to say that, despite huge strides in the fight against the disease, there were still gaps that needed to be filled to reach the final mile.
"We discovered that the rate of new infections in the state is particularly high among young people aged 15 to 24, with girls being particularly vulnerable."
"Women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. The state's mother-to-child transmission rate remains unacceptably high," he said.
According to the commissioner, for Gombe to control the epidemic, the response should identify and link every person infected with the virus, as well as link and care for them.
As a result, he advised residents to get tested for HIV because treatment was readily available.
(NAN)