More females on HIV treatment than males in Nigeria – NACA
A total of 1,090,233 people living with HIV have been placed on anti-retroviral treatment in Nigeria since June, according to the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS.
The list, NACA says, is dominated by females who make up 747,853 of the total. A total of 342,380 males are documented.
Acting Director, Research Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Greg Ashefor said on Friday that the number included all persons on treatment programmes supported by the US Government, Global Fund, and the Federal Government.
Ashefor further said that the Federal Government programme covered 62,120 persons on treatment, with 44,116 persons in Taraba State and 17,904 persons in Abia State.
“The government has a scale-up plan, called fast-track plan to actually put more people on drugs,” NAN quotes him as saying.
“There are other interventions going on. The partners are also doing test and treatment in collaboration with the government.”
There is a disturbing high rate of HIV-infected babies in Nigeria according to earlier studies by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS.
Added to a poor healthcare system, ignorance and poverty play major roles in preventing infected pregnant women from seeking good medical care.
