The United States of America has sought the support of the Akwa Ibom State Government to fight HIV/AIDs and other diseases in the next one year.
Speaking on Monday during a courtesy visit to the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington who led a delegation of USAID and United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to the Government House in Uyo, commended the governor for the various strides made in healthcare delivery and other infrastructural amenities in the state.
He said one of the reasons for his visit was to launch the most important efforts in medi-care that the US has ever made anywhere in the world, which was to save lives.
He added that without a healthy family, other amenities put in place by the government would amount to nothing.
He congratulated Emmanuel on his re-election, saying the governor’s re-election places a great responsibility on him to continue to serve the people of the state and nation.
“All the amenities, the good roads, the new industries and the schools I have seen, will not be appreciated if the people are not healthy to make use of them,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Emmanuel expressed appreciation to the US delegation for choosing Akwa Ibom state as one of the beneficiary states for the projects.
“Whatsoever investment is made by the United States Government; I will love to see transparency in accounting for those investments. That will encourage us to actually believe whatsoever is put across.
“Let’s be a partner not just in the target you’ve set, but to also know how the funds came in, how they’ve been spent and what they are being spent for.
“I believe that at the end of the day when we take stock of what we have achieved, you will also be proud of what we have done and we also will be proud of what you have done. I want to say here that we want to partner with you and this effort.
“I want to assure you, we will not leave it entirely for your own people. We have a role to play, not just at the few hospitals you’ve been shown around.
“We are developing a whole lot of secondary healthcare facilities and we are going to make them well equipped to achieve our goal,” he stated.
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