Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state on Thursday commissioned the northwest zonal office of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and called on people within the zone to endeavour to know their HIV status for possible treatment.
The office was established in the state to decentralize efforts at combating the menace of HIV/AIDS within the northwest geopolitical zone.
Governor Ganduje, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, expressed delight with the choice of Kano for citing the zonal office.
He noted that it would improve the effort of Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) in policy formulation towards improvement of service delivery, as well as coordinating activities of other developmental partners fighting the disease in the state.
He disclosed that “the most recent survey conducted in all the states of the federation, the prevalence rate for Kano has improved from 2.5 percent to 0.5 percent” which he described as a laudable achievement for the state.
He added that this is a reflection of immense support given to prevention of HIV/AIDS by this present administration.
He assured that the state government is always willing, and ready to work hand in hand with NACA and other development agencies to intensify the war against HIV, until it is totally eradicated from the state.
“The state government will continue to provide all the needed support to ensuring that the commodities needed for ensuring that every woman that attends ante-natal care in Kano state is screened at no cost and placed on treatment once found positive.
“We will also continue to build capacity of human resources for health across all levels of care in the state in order to improve HIV/AIDS prevention, curative and supportive services across the state,” he said.
In his keynote address, NACA Director General, Dr Garba Aliyu Gumel, emphasized the need to eradicate stigma against persons living with the disease, describing it as the major factor killing victims.
“The baseline for eradicating the HIV/AIDS in the country is first of all to know our HIV status; everybody should know his or her status.
“So, getting this edifice will further bring the activities of National Agency for the Control of AIDS closer to the people, sensitization will be intensified, people will be sensitized to go and test voluntarily to know their status, regardless whether you are positive or negative. If you are positive, you will be placed on antiretroviral therapy freely and if you are negative, you would be advised on how to stay safe.
“Another issue that will be taken care of here is the issue of stigmatization. I am sure we will do everything possible to sensitise people stigmatization against People Living with AIDS. So, I think this office will go a long way towards bringing a lot of improvement in our campaign against the disease in the northwest” the DG added.
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