OFFICIALS of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have identified Kaduna State as one of the leading states for the implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of ending HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by 2020.
Chief, Children and HIV/AIDS Programme of UNICEF in Nigeria, Dr. Dorothy Mbori-Ngacha, disclosed this in Kaduna during a press briefing at the end of her three-day visit to Kaduna.
According to her, “UNICEF works with Kaduna State in a number of areas. We work with the state in the area of preventing new cases of HIV/AIDS in children for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS and Kaduna has been doing well. It is one of the states in the Nation that is doing well in the PMTCT, HIV programme.”
Mbori-Ngacha added: “Really, as a result of the performance up to date, Kaduna has been earmarked as one of the fast-track states. Remember that recently, President Buhari was in New York and he spoke to the world and said he wants to see the end on AIDS in Nigeria by 2020. So, Kaduna State has been selected as fast-track to begin the implementation of that vision.
“Another area is the treatment of children. We know that adults are getting good treatment when they have HIV. Unfortunately, children are lagging behind and this is a sad scenario. It is like adults are eating and children staying hungry”.
She further explained that UNICEF’s target is to ensure that in the next three to five years, 90 per cent of all children living with HIV are receiving treatment in the state”.
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