By Adedapo Adesanya
The Taraba State Government has partnered with the United States to reduce the prevailing rate of HIV in the state to zero tolerance.
The new partnership was sealed in Jalingo between Governor Darius Ishaku and the United States Charge de Affairs in Nigeria, Ms Kathleen Fitzgibbon.
According to the Taraba State Government, due to increased efforts, the prevalence rate for HIV in the state has decreased from 10.5 per cent to 2.9 per cent between 2012 and 2021.
Governor Ishaku said that the partnership with the US on the disease will go a long way at reducing stigmatisation against persons living with the disease and assured that other diseases will not be relegated to the background.
He said health facilities are available to support the renewed campaign against HIV in the state and that the government will continue to assist where necessary.
According to the United States Charge de Affairs, Ms Kathleen Fitzgibbon, the healthcare model in Taraba State, makes for easy execution of the HIV eradication programme.
She explained that general hospitals renovated and upgraded in the three geopolitical zones, as well as the 150 primary healthcare centres, will be used in the renewed campaign against HIV in Taraba State.
Aduragbemi Omiyale