The Plateau State AIDS Control Agency (PLACA) said the state currently has over 44,000 people living with HIV with new infections continuing to accur.
Disclosed this on Thursday (today)by the Director of PLACA, Mrs. Esther Turaki while recovering medical kits and some medical equipments donated by the staff of
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Jos branch
to strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state.
The items were presented to PLACA at the State Secretariat ,Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Jos,led by CBN Branch Controller, Jos, Mr. Nathaniel Akwashiki, disclosed that the medical equipments were brought by the staffs through their personal contributions not from the bank's budget.
According to him,the CBN Staffs donated personal resources to support the HIV/AID program in the state, is a historic and to address funding challenges,affecting the sector following reductions in international donor support.
While explaining that the staffs decided to do this which is aimed at providing material assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS through PLACA.
While receiving the equipment the Director of PLACA, Mrs. Esther Turaki said the donation is a historic, first to the PLACA as individuals are personally contributing to address funding challenges of the Agency.
Mrs Turaki further disclosed that, funding from the US government has drastically reduced impacting various local HIV/AID programs.
She said,the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning chairs the technical working group on domestic resources mobilization led by the Permanent Secretary Mangu Dangnan Yohanna.
According to her,the reduction in funding previously received from the United States government had affected some HIV/AIDS programmes, making domestic resource mobilisation increasingly important to sustain interventions
The Director further explained that,the Technical Working Committee on Domestic Resource Mobilisation also embarked on advocacy visits to public and private institutions across the state to seek support, with assistance from APIN Public Health Initiative facilitating the exercise
While saying that the CBN was among the institutions visited during the advocacy campaign, and the presentation the outcome of that advocacy engagement.
She called on other organisations, individuals and corporate bodies to emulate the CBN staff by contributing cash, materials and other forms of support.
She urged all citizens of the stat to go and know their HIV/AID status by testing, while urging pregnant women are advised to attend antenatal care to enable early detection and treatment.
The Director disclosed further that,PLACA was also supporting the Ministry of Health in training health workers on Early Infant Diagnosis for HIV-exposed infants, to support born to HIV positive mothers.
Also the Plateau State Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Mr. Ezekiel Afan, and the Permanent Secretary Mangu Dangnan Yohanna appreciated the CBN staff for the intervention, describing it as a renewed hope.
Also the APIN Public Health Initiative also reported that the state records about 100 new HIV patients enrolling for treatment weekly, prompting renewed calls for individuals and corporate organisations to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
She therefore called on residents to get tested and know their HIV status, while urging pregnant women to attend antenatal care to enable early detection and treatment.
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