The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, BACATMA, has in the last 12 months enrolled 16, 588 people living with HIV on treatment, the Executive Chairman of the Agency, Muhammad Alkali, said.
Disclosing this to newsmen in the state on Sunday during the occasion of the 2018 World AIDS Day celebration, Mr Alkali said the agency has recorded increase in the number of patients as against 13, 503 in 2017.
Mr Alkali noted that this year ‘is highly symbolic’ in the history of AIDS in the state as the fight against the disease clocked 30 years with a significant reduction in the spread of the infection from 6.8 per cent in 2001 to 0.6 per cent in 2018.
He disclosed that the agency had procured and distributed 120, 000 units of HIV rapid test kits to 323 health facilities to strengthen prevention of mother to child transmission of the disease.
He, however, pointed out that 72 infants have been diagnosed HIV positive this year.
Mr Alkali also noted that since its establishment in 2008, BACATMA was able to organize and support match-making marriage of 156 couples living with HIV.
According to him, the wedlock had resulted in the delivery of more than 70 babies who were tested negative to HIV.
