3,269 female AYP tested HIV positive, sexual related diseases in Nasarawa
Three thousand, two hundred and sixty nine (3269) female Adolescents Young persons (AYP) are reported to have been infected with HIV/Aids virus and other sexual related diseases in Nasarawa state in the first half 2018.
The Nasarawa state ministry of health, staff, Dr. Peter Attah, stated this while presenting a report to journalists on Prevention to Mother and Child Transition (PMTCT) and Adolescents Young persons (AYP) support seminar, organised by UNICEF in collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) Kaduna, at Keffi Local Government Area of the state.
According to Attah, young persons from the ages of 14 to 19 years in the first half of year 2018, who were Counselled, Tested and Received Result (CTRR), show that out of 75, 435 tested, 1086 persons were discovered positive.
“As at the end of June 2018, about 4,245 AYP on ARVs are infected, out of which male are 976, while the female with 3269.
“This shows that the female are the most affected group of 9.7 percent of the whole affected persons in the state and all within the adolescent’s age.
Attah who was there at the instance of UNICEF cum NOA, Kaduna office also reported that, in 2017, National Health Survey shows that only 29 percent of women and 27.9 percent men between the ages of 15 to 24 could identify ways of preventing sexual transmission of HIV and reject major myths around transmission.
The high rate of the virus in AYP, according to the presenter was said to be lack of sex educational, early sex initiation among others.
The health practitioner enumerated strategies to end the HIV/ Aids epidemic to include strict implementation of youth friendly centres, HIV/ Aids consulting and testing units and prevention of PMTCT in the state.
Also, he said the Government should strictly implement the national target commitment of 90 percent, treatment coverage of 50 percent, and testing rate, among people by 2020.
He therefore called on both stakeholders and the media in the state to support the fight by sensitizing the general public on the bad effect of the pandemic.
