The prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is higher among rural dwellers than urban folks in Akwa Ibom State.
Dr. Aniekeme A. Uwah, who stated this Saturday, December 1 in a telephone interview with StraightNews reporter as part of the activities marking World AIDS Day, attributed this to inadequate awareness among the rural people especially those living in the fishing settlements.
Uwah, who is the state Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, further stated that the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is higher among females than their male counterparts in Akwa Ibom State, saying this is common among female prostitutes.
He, however, noted that the prevalence of HIV in the state is 2.8 per cent based on the recent population survey conducted by the state Ministry of Health, and confirmed that as soon as the National report of HIV prevalence is released, Akwa Ibom State would drop from the second position based on the various activities undertaken to abate the scourge.
As part of their contributions to reduce the pandemic, the NMA boss announced that medical doctors have embarked on various strategies such as street walk campaign, musical concert, workshops and seminars as well as distributed 10,000 condoms to people. World AIDS Day, President Donald Trump,
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump failed to mention the LGBT community in his World AIDS Day proclamation, drawing criticism from several prominent civil rights organizations.
“Today, on World AIDS Day, we honor those who have lost their lives to AIDS, we celebrate the remarkable progress we have made in combatting this disease, and we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat,” Trump said in his official statement marking the day of remembrance.
Unlike previous administrations’ proclamations on World AIDS day that explicitly mentioned LGBT groups and communities that are disproportionately affected by the disease, Trump’s statement made no mention of the groups.
The proclamation prompted backlash from a number of groups.
Scott Schoettes, a project director at the legal advocacy group Lambda Legal criticized the proclamation in a statement to BuzzFeed.
“Not only did the White House statement on World AIDS Day fail to mention the population in which two-thirds of HIV cases in the US occur — gay and bisexual men — it also failed to point out the disproportionate impact in communities of color, for gay and bisexual men of color, particularly young men of color, or for transgender women,” he said.
The Human Rights Campaign, a leading LGBT advocate, also voiced its concerns on Twitter.
2017’s theme of World AIDS Day is “The Need to Increase Access to People Living with HIV and AIDS” with Nigeria having 3.4 million people living with AIDS.
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988 is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.
World AIDS Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World Hepatitis Day. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day.
As of 2017, AIDS has killed between 28.9 million and 41.5 million people worldwide, and an estimated 36.7 million people are living with HIV, making it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history. Thanks to recent improved access to antiretroviral treatment in many regions of the world, the death rate from AIDS epidemic has decreased since its peak in 2005 (1 million in 2016, compared to 1.9 million in 2005).
