USAID: “94, 000 Pregnant Women HIV Positive In Zamfara”

The United States Agency for International Aids says at least 94,141 pregnant women are HIV/AIDS positive in Zamfara state. Speaking on Thursday, October 20, at the end of a seven-year treatment and support rolling plan for those living with HIV in the state in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital, Aminu Sarki, the team leader of the organisation, said more than 500 women living with HIV received antiretroviral drugs in the state during the period.He said 4,436 persons living with HIV in the state were cared for by his organization.Sarki noted that the project was aimed at strengthening the capacity of the country’s public, private and community sectors for sustainable HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention, control, care and treatment within the health system.He said his organization had succeeded in providing services at four comprehensive care and treatment sites as well as trained health personnel in 19 Management Sciences for Health (MSH) supported facilities in injection, safety and waste management. Bu according to him, there is a need for the state government to take-over and continue in order to eliminate HIV in the state, as the project will be winding up by November.While applauding the services rendered by the organization in the state, the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Shinkafi, assured that the state government would soon study and take over in order to sustain the program. The project was conducted in the five states of Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.