Mr George Nwaeke, Acting Executive Director of Rivers Agency for Control of AIDS (RIVSACA) on Wednesday said an estimated 227,500 adults and children in the State are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
He disclosed this at a 2-Day South South HIV Media Roundtable meeting in Port Harcourt.
According to him this was sequel to a survey conducted by the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey 2019.
Nwaeke, who was represented by Dr Francis Naaziga, Project Manager RIVSACA said the number represents a prevalence rate of 3.8 per cent.
“An estimated 210,000 adults and 17,500 children are currently infected in the State based on NAIIS 2019 report.
“Out of this number, only about 120,000 adults, and 7, 100 children are receiving the life-saving Anti Retro Viral Treatment at the moment, ” he said.
Speaking, the South South Zonal Coordinator of the National Agency For the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Uduak Daniel said that the roundtable was designed to engage the media due to their importance in HIV/AIDS prevention.
“Without the media it is difficult to achieve anything and that is why we decided to carry the media along, ” she said.
She added that part of the objectives of the meeting was to create space to clarify for the media emerging HIV/AIDS related issues, priorities and trends.
“Also to discuss mutually reinforcing perspectives on the different dimensions of the HIV response amongst partners in the zone, ” Uduak said.
The Chairman of Committee on Health in the State House of Assembly, Mr Samuel Ogeh while formally declaring the event open commended the Zonal office for holding it in Port Harcourt.
He called for attitudinal change among the people to curb the spread of the pandemic.
He lamented that since the outbreak of coronavirus the society has forgotten about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, adding that “this is a dangerous trend, “
