World Aids Day: Bauchi Highlights Successes, Challenges in Fighting Scourge
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Government in collaboration with the USAID funded Society for Family Health’s (SFH) Key Population Community HIV Services Action and Response (KP-CARE 2) project has marked this year’s World Aids Day by reiterating on the need to upscale access to quality HIV prevention, treatment and care for citizens and other vulnerable population in Bauchi State.
The state commissioner of health Dr. Mohammed Aliyu Maigoro stated this in Bauchi yesterday while addressing journalists to mark the 2020 World Aids Day .
The commissioner disclosed that, there has been a remarkable achievement in the reduction of prevalence rate in Bauchi State from 6.8 percent in 2001 to 0.4 percent in 2018, stressing that, “this achievement was as a result of concerted efforts by the state, all stakeholders and the political will demonstrated by the government of Bauchi State”.
Dr. Maigoro disclosed that the global strategies aimed at eliminating HIV by 2030 is hinged on the success of three key interventions that is anchored on identifying 95 percent of the estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDs through robust HIV testing, enrolling of those positive on treatment and ensuring that 95 percent of those on treatment achieved viral load suppression.
He also revealed that recent scientific evidence has shown that HIV patients that attained level of viral suppression can no longer transmit the infection.
“Bauchi State government has achieved a significant percentage that signify hope of eliminating HIV/AIDS scourge, because we have attained 81 percent for HIV testing, 99 percent in treatment and 94 percent of total samples collected are virally suppressed”, said Dr. Maigoro.
The commissioner said that despite the successes recorded, there are still some challenges related to health system infrastructure, unmet need for commodities, data quality, human resource for health and the dwindling donor funding.
Maigoro also used the occasion to commend development partners, donors , CSOs, traditional and religious leaders, health care providers and NEPHWAN for their support in achieving the successes so far achieved in the state.
Our correspondent reports that every 1st of December is marked as World Aids Day to discuss successes, challenges and way forward towards eliminating HIV/AIDs worldwide.
This year’s theme was tagged “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility”.