Cross River State Government says HIV/AIDS will reduce to a National Average of 1.7% by the year 2021 in the state due to various measures the government has put in place.
Deputy Governor of the State, Prof Ivara Esu made this known in Calabar Tuesday during the 2020 World HIV/AIDS Walk for healthy living, with the theme “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility”.
Esu said working with civil society groups, the media, and other stakeholders, young girls, pregnant women, and other citizens between the age of 16 and 34, especially in rural communities have been adequately educated while those living with the disease are looked after by the government.
The Director-General SACA in Cross River, Dr. Etcheri Ansa, said testing at the border communities is ongoing with the support of the security agencies to control the illegal movement of people.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu said, weekly community testing and status assessment is ongoing in Cross River State, especially in some borderlines where Cameroonian refugees reside.
HIV/AIDS rating in Cross River State is currently at 2% which is above the national average of 1.7%, but the state government said awareness-raising activities currently ongoing will reduce the rating by 2021.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
