Must See: You Won’t Believe The Number Of People Living With AIDS In Edo State

Another disclosure has demonstrated the definite and rather disturbing number of individuals living with the lethal HIV/AIDS illness in Edo state.

Venture Manager, Edo State Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDs (EDO-SACA), Dr Marietu Binkola, on Sunday said 16,000 individuals in the state were living with HIV infection.

Binkola made this known at a gathering to check the 2016 International Aids Candle Light Memorial held in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

The International Aids Candlelight Memorial is praised to recollect that every one of the individuals who had kicked the bucket of HIV and AIDS. Amid the service, names of the perished are normally perused out by a cross area of groups, families and accomplices.

“We have about 16,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Edo state. The state government is committed to the funding of HIV and AIDs and to see that this figure is reduced to the barest minimum,” she said.

Binkola said that enunciated vehicles parks were viewed as a portion of the "problem areas" where drivers occupied with high demonstration of shamelessness, including that the office would escalate crusade on the sickness.

She said announcements on HIV would be sited at everything about parks in the state to assist sharpen individuals to the scourge.

“All kinds of people stand at a disadvantage on the question of HIV and AIDS; so, what we do is we sensitize, we distribute condoms.
“HIV testing and counselling is free and we teach them how to use it and use it properly,” she said.

Binkola called for attitudinal change towards the sickness and prompted the general population to stop victimization those living with the illness so as to lessen its spread.

Prior, Dr Bright Oniovokukor, Coordinator, Civil Society for HIV/AIDs in Nigeria (CISHAN), Edo section, said that the gathering would convey restored global consideration regarding the significance of more secure s*x.

Oniovokukor said that the discussion would likewise send constructive message to youthful, sexually dynamic individuals that utilizing condoms reliably was important as a part of turning away reaching the ailment.

“The actual aim of the programme is to remember those who have died from HIV and Aids and also to encourage those who are living with the virus to live positively.
“The programme would help to create awareness that would help prevention of HIV and AIDS in our society,” he said.

 The facilitator said that there was requirement for governments and applicable offices to strengthen mindfulness on the illness.

“Many people do not still have information about HIV and AIDS at the moment and this has to be done because some of our adolescents are migrating into the youthful and risky age group.
“There is need to keep the awareness very high so as to prevent the spread of HIV virus,” he said.