Governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Southern Nigeria, has promised to pull resources together with the US Mission in Nigeria and National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) towards mounting aggressive advocacy for the eradication of HIV/AIDS in the State.
Gatekeepers News reports that Governor Ikpeazu has promised to deploy the same zeal used towards the COVID-19 pandemic and other health issues in the State to battle HIV /AIDS headlong.
The Governor made this promise during the visit of a delegation of the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen Fitzgibbon, and the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA), Dr Aliyu Gambo, to the Government House Umuahia.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onyebuchi Ememanka, who disclosed this in a statement signed on Tuesday, said the Governor assured that the State must ramp up HIV testing and other curative interventions that would lead to the eradication of the scourge.
Ikpeazu further said that the State would mobilise all the necessary platforms to beat the 18 months deadline given by the team as the target to bring HIV/AIDS under control in the State.
The Governor, therefore, called on the US Deputy Chief of Mission to continue to support the state in its quest to win the war against HIV/AIDS and appreciated the US Mission for returning to the State in the area of health after some years of inactivity.
He highlighted the interventions of his administration in the health sector in the State, including the telehealth initiative, geriatric outreach and mother & child hospital, which he said would be commissioned soon, among other interventions.
The Governor, therefore, assured the delegation that he would personally lead the advocacy campaign to support both the curative and behavioural change components of the fight.
Earlier, the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen Fitzgibbon, said that the United States is in Nigeria to partner with the Federal and State Governments in pulling resources together towards reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the county as HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence.
Fitzgibbon urged the State Government to mount strong advocacy to eliminate stigma against carriers, increase HIV coverage, and encourage people with HIV/AIDS to come out to access treatment willingly.
She thanked the Governor for quickly approving the provision of accommodation for staff of the Center for Disease Control, adding that this will strengthen synergy and collaboration between the US Mission and the State Government.
On his part, the Director-General NACA, Dr Aliyu Gambo, said that Abia had remained one of the strategic partners of the Federal Government in the fight against HIV/AIDS as it has been active in the payment of its counterpart funding.
Gambo applauded the Governor for sustaining support for the program, including providing office space for NACA and assured that by joining hands with the US Mission and Abia State Government, they would achieve epidemic control in the State.
Present at the visit were the Deputy Governor, Ude Oko Chukwu; Secretary to Government, Chris Ezem; Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Osuji; Head of Service, Onyi Onyii Wamah; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof Agbazuere, other members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries and other top officials of the State Government witnessed the event.
Gifts were later exchanged between the Governor and the US Envoy to commemorate the visit.
