People in same sex or gay relations are at higher risk of being infected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, says the Executive Director, Anambra State AIDS Control Agency, ANSACA, Mr Johnbosco Ementa.
Mr Ementa who reiterated this during an interview with The Chambers News Correspondent in Awka during a one-day symposium organized by the agency ahead of tomorrow’s World AIDS Day, said there is need to increase the sensitization about the HIV/AIDS prevalence among minority groups in the society so as to reduce stigma and increase their access to testing and treatment.
Mr Ementa who said that the Anambra State government is worried that the state sits on the fifth position of HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country and on the first position in the South East region of the country, explained that this is why it speeding up efforts to increase access to testing centres in the state when has risen from the 104 it met on ground in 2022 to 1,182 testing centres at the moment.
He explained that the state has a total of 98,960 persons who are living with HIV/AIDS but regretted that only 15% of this number know their status.
He, therefore, beckoned on citizens in the state to prioritize HIV/AIDS testing which is the primary way to reduce the prevalence, reduce the stigma against persons living with the disease and apply all the preventive measures.
The one-day symposium has the theme “Communities: Leadership to end AIDS by 2030” which is also the theme for the World AIDS Day commemoration 2023.
The symposium was organized in collaboration with Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS, UNAIDS.