Nigeria’s new HIV/AIDS prevalence rate will be out soon, says NACA

The Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) is on its way in Rivers state which is targeted to help the country establish the true prevalence rate of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the country.

This was made known during monitoring the visit to selected survey sites in Rivers state. Dr. Greg Ashefor, a member of the Technical Committee on NAIIS made this known while addressing journalist who accompanied him on the tour on the tour of the sites.

He said the survey is being conducted by the Federal government of Nigeria in conjunction with the United States (U.S.) government, Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Joint United Nations programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organizations supporting the implementation of the survey.

The theme of the survey is “For healthy families: HIV and viral Hepatitis free generation.”

Ashefor, who is also the acting Director of Research and Medical Evaluation, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), said that the ongoing survey was to establish the number of persons with HIV/AIDS in the country.

According to him, the survey will help government to know the number of persons affected with the diseases in the country and to provide adequate treatment and care for the patients.

“The house holds survey being conducted will help to plan better for HIV/AIDS care and services; it will also enhance the linkage of HIV positive persons to care and also determine the spread of hepatitis A and B in the country,’’ the director said.

He said that the response of persons in various communities in Rivers where the survey was ongoing among the six States in the Web two was commendable.