HIV/AIDS infections triples in C’River state

From all indications, it seems there is an upsurge in HIV/AIDS infection in Cross River state. A visit to the Heart to Heart treatment facilities revealed that the number of infected persons tripled as the health workers attending to the persons living with the infection battle hourly and daily to educate, test and carry out other activities on the affected patients.

Our correspondent who visited the General Hospital, Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), General Hospital Akamkpa and other health facilities reported an the influx of persons living with the disease. The number of females outnumbered their male counterpart. Besides, their plight was not pleasant. The female patients looked dejected and worried.

Interacting with Daily Times, some of the affected persons regretted been infected with the disease as they claimed that the civil society organizations (CSO), non-governmental organization (NGO) and state government are not helping matters as far as the infection was concerned.

Miss Margaret Ekpo Udo (not real name), said: “Initially when I had this problem, I received drugs and counselling free of charge, but today, the drugs are not available, the CSO and NGO are nowhere to be found. Look at the number here (pointing out), we have been here since morning but not much has been done to us,” she fumed.

She lamented that “even if government was not doing much for us, what about CSOs and NGOs that source their funds abroad, what do they do with the money they collected overseas in the name of assisting those leaving with HIV/AIDS? This is fraud and I appealed to EFCC to look into the activities of CSO/NGO as it concern HIV/AIDS.”

Another patient who pleaded that her name should not be mentioned said that “if the trend continues, she may have no option but to retired to her house and infect others with it.” She pointed out that it was not her intention to do this but when pushed to the wall, she will have no alternative than to do order wise.

When our correspondent contacted the state coordinator of Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CISHAN), Comrade Paul Ekuma Ngwu, confirmed the influx of HIV/AIDS patients in the state, saying that the tempo of HIV/AIDS prevention has gone down noting that there was no more commitment by state government.

Disappointingly, at the 1st Candle Light Memorial Service for HIV/AIDS patients that died and those leaving with HIV/AIDS Comrade Ngwu said “You will agree that the tempo has gone down, there is no more commitment that drive that zeal on the site of the government, this shouldn’t be, government must wake up, government must take ownership on the fight of HIV/AIDS.”

He admitted that the said donor support on HIV/AIDS is winding down, it is seriously dwindling and if government does not take responsibility of people leaving with HIV/AIDS, and then we are not ready to fight HIV/AIDS to finish in cross river state.

He stated that “when we talk about HIV/AIDS free generation, how can that happen when government is not responsive, how can that happen when we are not putting all hands on deck to fight HIV/AIDS, government must understand that they owe all of us both the generation unborn, the responsibility of fighting HIV/AIDS to finish.”

Going by this frightening comment by Comrade Ngwu, the state is in danger now that the state is fast approaching her world accepted carnival and Christmas festivities. According to our findings, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CISHAN) was yet to impressed the state government to release funds to her as the activities of the organization was still been studied by government officials. “Government don’t even attend the organization’s functions” a source hinted.