By Najib Sani
Bauchi
Bauchi state Governor, Isa Yuguda, has declared that HIV/AIDS scourge had reduced to 0.6 per cent from the worrying 6.8 per cent that it was 13 years ago in the state.
The governor said that in the determination of his administration to fight the scourge, inaugurated a 20 member State Management Team of the President Comprehensive Response Plan ,(PCRP) on HIV/AIDS as contained in a Press Release signed and issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Deacon Ishola Michael Adeyemi.
While Inaugurating the committee under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Sani Malami, yesterday at the Government House, Yuguda advised members of the team to work hard towards meeting the vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero deaths due to HIV/AIDS.
He further said the state, 13 years ago, had prevalence of 6.8 per cent and today it’s been reduced to 0.6 per cent because of the hand work of committed individuals from within and outside the country.
Yuguda also said that government established and sustained environment that facilitated HIV/AIDS intervention which attracts support from local and international partners which helped to reverse the trend and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the state and the country at large.
He gave the assurance that the state was willing to commit more resources and work more closely with other stake holders and to take the ownership of the response as agreed by the federal government.
Chairman of the SMT Dr Abubakar Sani Malami, said the intervention was aimed at preventing new infections, stigma and discrimination against People living with HIV/AIDS.
Malami said the intervention requires multi-sectoral approach where all sectors were carried along, it requires huge human and financial investments in order to halt its reverse and mitigate its impact in the society.
