by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State AIDS Control Agency (PLACA) says the state currently has over 44,000 people living with HIV/AIDS virus, with new infections continuing to occur.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Director of PLACA, Mrs. Esther Turaki, while recovering medical kits and some medical equipment donated by the staff of
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Jos Branch, to strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state.
The items were presented to PLACA at the State Secretariat, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Jos, led by CBN Branch Controller, Jos, Mr. Nathaniel Akwashiki, who disclosed that the medical equipment were brought by the staffs through their personal contributions, and not from the bank’s budget.
According to him, the donation by the CBN Staffs from their personal resources to support the HIV/AIDS program in the state is a historic event, and is to address funding challenges affecting the sector, following reductions in international donor support.
He explained that the staffs decided to do this – with the aim to providing material assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS, through PLACA.
While receiving the equipment, the Director of PLACA (Mrs Esther Turaki) said “The donation is historic; first to the PLACA, as individuals are personally contributing to address funding challenges of the Agency.”
She disclosed that, “Funding from the US Government has drastically reduced impacting various local HIV/AID programs.
“The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning chairs the technical working group on domestic resources mobilization, led by the Permanent Secretary, Mangu Dangnan Yohanna.”
She further noted that, the reduction in funding previously received from the United States Government had affected some HIV/AIDS programmes, making domestic resource mobilisation increasingly important to sustain interventions.”
The Director further explained that, the Technical Working Committee on Domestic Resource Mobilisation also embarked on advocacy visits to public and private institutions across the state to seek support, with assistance from APIN Public Health Initiative facilitating the exercise.
She revealed that, the CBN was among the institutions visited during the advocacy campaign, and the presentations by the (bank) staffs as the outcome of that advocacy engagement.
She called on other organisations, individuals and corporate bodies to emulate the CBN staffs by contributing cash, materials and other forms of support.
She urged all citizens of the state to endeavour to know their HIV/AID status by going for tests, while urging pregnant women to attend antenatal care so as to enable early detection and treatment.
The PLACA Director disclosed further that the Agency was also supporting the Ministry of Health in training health workers on Early Infant Diagnosis for HIV-exposed infants, to support born-to-HIV-positive mothers.
In the same vein, Plateau State Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Mr. Ezekiel Afan, and the Permanent Secretary, Mangu Dangnan Yohanna, appreciated the CBN staffs for the intervention, describing it as a renewed hope.
In another development, APIN Public Health Initiative also reported that the state has recorded about 100 new HIV patients enrolling for treatment weekly, prompting renewed calls for individuals and corporate organisations to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.