Delta Commits N100m To Fight HIV
January 10, 2020 By AGENCY News, Jerry Emmanson
Delta
Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, said the state government would commit
N100 million to fight the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the
state.
The
governor made this known at the launch of HIV SURGE in Asaba on Thursday.
He
urged that all hands must be on deck to check the HIV scourge, and warned that nobody
should collect fees of any kind on HIV cases.
He
also directed the state government-owned media houses not to collect any fee
for HIV-related campaigns.
Okowa
announced that laws against stigmatization and victimization of HIV patients
would be promulgated in the state soon.
He
said that HIV Testing Services should be given top priority, particularly in
rural communities, saying that local areas were critical to the overall
HIV/AIDS response and services.
“Let
me assure all of you of my administration’s readiness to creating an enabling
environment and support for all HIV/AIDS programmes.
“I
am taking up the fight Against HIV/AIDS as one of my administration’s top
priorities; we are committing the sum of N100 million to ensure that our
people, especially those who are in the riverside communities are reached.
“We
will treat unkindly anybody who charges users fee for HIV treatment both in the
secondary and our primary health facilities.
“The
Delta State Government has been offering free maternal services for all
pregnant women and under-five children in the State through its equity plan in
the Delta State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, which includes free HIV
test and counseling.
“Equally,
the government has been making funds available to the State Agency for the
Control of HIV/AIDS, for the procurement of HIV test kits and consumables to
fill in emerging gaps in some of our facilities and support to partners,” he
said.
The
governor added that Delta State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, which was
critical in all HIV/AIDS matters, had been repositioned to effectively
coordinate all HIV/AIDS activities in the State.
According
to him, we are working to ensure that the legislature makes law against the
stigmatization and victimization of people living with the HIV.
“Media
houses in the state should not collect money for any publication or materials
for radio and television that will create more awareness for the HIV.
“I
wish to reiterate my earlier call for more partners and stakeholders, including
friends of the State, to join hands to make Delta State HIV-free and provide
succour to those already living with the virus.
“More
than ever before, this is the time to redouble our commitments to tackling the
HIV/AIDS epidemic in the State,” he stated.
Okowa
expressed gratitude to United States Government through her PEPFAR programme,
the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), CARITAS Nigeria, Catholic Relief Services
(CRS) and Excellence Community Educational Welfare Scheme (ECWES).
Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) for their collaboration, assistance and privileges
extended to the State over the years towards eradicating and working to attain
zero HIV.
Also
commended were Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organisations
(FBOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs).
“I
call on all Deltans to massively make themselves available for HIV testing.
“For
those that are HIV positive, they have the opportunity of being enrolled into
treatment immediately because, you can live a normal and positive life with HIV
and these services are free,” Okowa said.
The
United States Government through its Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen
FitzGibbon, called for sustained effort to identify and put People Living with
HIV (PLHIV) on life-saving Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).
She
said that it would ensure that PLHIV live a long, normal, productive, and
healthy life and help in breaking the transmission of the virus.
FitzGibbon
also pledged the U.S. Government’s support to the people of Delta, especially
in the identification and provision of treatment to approximately 63,000 people
living with HIV, in addition to the over 17,500 people already receiving such
treatment through the PEPFAR program in the state to help in moving the state
towards HIV epidemic control by September 2020.
