HIV/AIDS: A’Ibom people are not promiscuous, declares health commissioner

Commissioner for Health in Akwa Ibom state, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, has dismissed insinuations that promiscuity was responsible for the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the state.

Ukpong said this at the post -national HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) discussion and stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Uyo on Sunday.

The Nigerian HIV/AIDs Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) revealed that Akwa Ibom state had the highest prevalence rate of HIV in the country.

According to the survey, 5.5 per cent of people living with HIV in Nigeria are in Akwa Ibom, followed by Benue state which has about 3.5 per cent prevalence rate.

Ukpong expressed worry that the high prevalence rate was being interpreted by many as a sign of promiscuity among the people of Akwa Ibom, disclosing that Akwa Ibom people are very religious and hold firmly to the tenets of chastity and fidelity.

He, however, noted that HIV/AIDS education was low and that the people were engaging in behaviour which exposed them to the virus, with particular reference to the activities of traditional birth attendants.

The health commissioner said that the virus could be transmitted through other channels besides sex and appealed to well-meaning individuals to get tested and disclose their status to their partners.

Speaking earlier, Dr. Sanmi Adedokun, the director, monitoring and evaluation, said that the prevalence rate was higher along the coastal borders which had a lot of immigration activities.

He said that the Akwa Ibom people, though having the highest rate in the last survey, had recorded a commendable drop in HIV/AIDS prevalence from 10.8 in 2014 to 5.5 in 2017.

Adedokun said that there should be a conscious inclusion of schools in HIV/AIDS sensitization and education, explaining that the survey also revealed that 79.3 per cent of adolescents have HIV/AIDS information from their teachers.