The rate of mother-to-child transmission of the virus has decreased to less than 10% in Nasarawa State over the last two years, according to the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN).
At a media roundtable to review the rollout of the Nigeria Resilient and Sustainable System for Health Project (RSSH) in Lafia on Thursday, Mr. Philip Lokoko, Nasarawa State Coordinator, NEPWHAN, announced this.
A project called RSSH aims to improve and increase Nigeria’s health system’s ability to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
According to Lokoko, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS’s initiatives, partner interventions, and strong sensitization campaigns all contributed to the state’s progress in reducing the prevalence of HIV (NACA).
He claimed that NEPWHAN was working to raise the standard of care provided at the hospitals where its members received treatment.
Lokoko stated that in order to monitor and guarantee better services for its members, the project had enlisted 15 Community-Based Organizations (CBO) from the areas in which they were intervening.
But he bemoaned the continued stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS patients in the state by the general populace.