The National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has said that it is targeting about 15,000 people for Human Immune deficiency Virus, HIV, testing and counselling in the ongoing free medical outreach programme in Lagos.
Disclosing this during the flag – off of the exercise which is holding simultaneously in Kairo Market Oshodi and Ejigbo Market play ground all in Isolo – Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos State, the Director Partnerships Coordination, NACA, Dr. Emmanuel Alhassan stressed the need for every Nigerian to know his or her HIV status.
Alhassan said the counselling and testing campaign was designed to promote the culture of HIV counselling and testing among Lagosians.
“In terms of prevalence, Lagos state is actually higher than the national average but not the highest. National average is about 3.4 percent but Lagos has a higher rate of 5.1 percent. It is important to know that because of the population in Lagos when you translate the percentage into numbers, it’s huge. That is why Lagos is one of our priority 12+1 states.”
“Our 12 states and the FCT account for about 70 percent of the HIV burden in Nigeria that is why Lagos state is very critical. A lot of work has been done here and a lot of work is ongoing. Lagos State is one of the strongest states that are responding to the epidemics,” he explained.
Continuing, Alhassan who said the testing programme was being done alongside other medical screening for hypertension, malaria among others, said: “In the next five days, we are expecting to screen a minimum of about 8,000 people but we are looking at 15,000 people.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/naca-targets-15000-for-hiv-counselling-testing-in-lagos/#sthash.k5pqYg2y.dpuf
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