Over 56,350 people are currently living with HIV in Cross River – SACA

The Director-General of the Cross River State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (SACA), Mrs. Irene Aniyom, yesterday said that 56,350 persons are currently living with the HIV virus in the state.

Anyiom, who disclosed this while speaking with reporters in Calabar, the state capital said “Today in the state, we have 56,350 people living with the virus; we have to update it on a regular basis since 2005”.

According to her, the infected persons are receiving anti-retroviral drugs at different centres in the state.

She said that SACA had formed a group known as “Cross River Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS,’’ to monitor the infected persons.

“And in this network, we have 80 support groups of people living with the virus, with a minimum of 25 persons in each group,’’ she said.

Aniyom said that many people were now aware of the diseases, due to the activities of SACA and other groups involved in the campaign against the spread of the disease.

“If you go to various HIV testing and counselling centres across the state, you will find many people coming out to know their status,’’ she said.

The Girector-General said that SACA had also established Local Action Committees on Control of HIV/AIDS (LACA) in each of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, headed by the chairmen of the councils.

“This is because we found out that the disease spreads faster in rural areas, ‘’ Aniyom said.

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