Wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, says her Healthy Living Initiative will partner with the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), to strengthen HIV awareness, testing and response efforts in the state.
Soludo made the pledge on Saturday during an advocacy visit by a delegation of ANSACA to her office in Awka, against the backdrop of Anambra’s ranking as the fifth among sub-national entities with the highest number of people living with HIV in Nigeria.
She said that Anambra’s current HIV prevalence rate required urgent and coordinated action to reverse the trend and reduce the disease burden in the state.
“I have confidence in the capacity of ANSACA to drive HIV prevention, control and public education programmes across communities in the state.
“And Healthy Living Initiative will support all efforts to strengthen HIV awareness, testing and response no Anambra,”she said.
She commended the agency for its efforts in combating the spread of HIV and expressed optimism that sustained interventions would significantly reduce the prevalence rate within a short period.
Soludo also directed the immediate inclusion of 10 women living with HIV in her NGO’s forthcoming empowerment programme and reaffirmed her commitment to partnering with ANSACA to curb the spread of the virus.
Earlier, the Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr Nkem Okeke, said the agency had developed a strategic and sustainable work plan in line with the development vision of the Anambra State Government.
Okeke said available statistics indicated that Anambra had an HIV prevalence rate of 2.4 per cent, higher than the national average of 2.1 per cent.
According to him, the figure makes Anambra the state with the highest HIV prevalence rate in the South-East and the fifth highest in the country.
He said the development underscored the need for intensified interventions, public enlightenment campaigns and expanded access to testing and treatment services.
“Plans are underway to establish the Anambra State HIV Research Centre at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, in collaboration with the Federal Government.
“The proposed centre will advance HIV research, prevention and control efforts in the state,”he said.
Okeke added that the agency was currently conducting free moonlight HIV testing in communities and remained committed to reducing the prevalence rate through sustained awareness, testing and treatment initiatives.
