Akwa Ibom to conduct HIV survey of children, youths

A new survey to estimate the prevalence of HIV among people aged 15 and old, as well as estimate the prevalence of HIV among children aged 0-14 years is to be carried out in Akwa Ibom State.
There seems to be no reliable statistical data as regards HIV prevalence rate as the figure keeps changing A 2012 household survey however put the state’s prevalence rate at 6.5%, which placed Akwa Ibom as the sixth highest among states in the country and higher than the national HIV prevalence of 3.4%
But the expected survey, known as Akwa Ibom State AIDS Indicator Survey (AKAIS), is also aimed at providing programme managers and policy makers a more detailed and specific understanding of the HIV epidemic in the state in order to guide scale-up of treatment and prevention services across all ages. A release of the survey made from the presentation on the survey by a member of the team, Mr Bassey Nsa, said the survey would also help to determine the coverage and HIV intervention service in the state; just as it would provide a general estimate of HIV in the state and also describe the demographic, socio-economic and behavioural risk factors associated with the HIV epidemic in the state.
“The results of the study will not only produce a more precise measure of HIV prevalence, but also will provide the proportion of PLWHA who have a CD4 count less than 500, a CD4 count less than 350, and the proportion of PLHIV on ART with a suppressed viral load.
“These data will provide an estimate of the current HIV program coverage and the unmet need for ART and PMTCT programs. In addition to providing information on state-level prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for HIV, the survey will also provide data regarding the burden of HIV and uptake of PMTCT services among pregnant women.
The survey will also provide stakeholders with the information needed to effectively evaluate current programs as well as plan and implement future interventions. Given that AKAIS will be the second population based, HIV-focused survey involving comprehensive biologic testing after Kaduna, this will serve as a model for surveys in other Nigerian states as well as other countries,”the statement said.
It said the benefits of the survey would include HIV counseling and t testing; HIV testing for recent infection; child HIV testing; and blood samples collection from participants for testing.
The statement listed the supporting agencies of the survey to include the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health (SMOH), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of HIV/ AIDS (AKSACA), Akwa Ibom State Local Service Commission, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Nigeria (CDC-Nigeria), Nigeria Population Commission (NPC), Family Health International (FHI 360) Nigeria, FHI 360 HQ,
Others are the University of Nigeria Nsukka/Health Policy and Research Group and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).