Abia is 6th in HIV prevalence ranking in Nigeria, says US envoy

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Abia map Abia is 6th in HIV prevalence ranking in Nigeria, says US envoy

The U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires (CDA), Kathleen FitzGibbon, has said that Abia had the sixth highest HIV prevalence rate in the country with an estimated 58,341 cases.FitzGibbon said this in Umuahia on Tuesday, at a stakeholder meeting organised by CDA, in collaboration with Catholic Caritas Foundation (CCF) and the Abia government.

The CDA, who led a Mission Nigeria interagency team to Abia, said the meeting also marked “the re-engagement of U.S. assistance to the state, through its President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” adding that the U.S. government will support renewed efforts towards HIV epidemic control in Abia.

“The U.S. will work with the state government and other stakeholders to close the HIV treatment gap.

“We shall identify and initiate treatment for additional 37,000 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Abia, within the next two years.

“The U.S. is looking to Abia to lead and demonstrate a model of sustainable state ownership of the HIV response.



Source: Vanguard Newspaper