Data made available by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has revealed that Cross River State currently occupies the 12th position in the national list of HIV Prevalent states in Nigeria.
The data, accessed by www.calitown.com, shows the prevalent percentage for the state at 1.7%, with never married females, never married males, female sex workers and men having sex with men, in this order, responsible for the figures in percentage. Contrary to wide believe, female sex workers in the state, occupy the third pecking order in groups responsible for the prevalence rate while never married females hold the number , one spot.
Neighbouring Akwa Ibom State, occupies the number one spot in the national HIV prevalence list at 5.6%, followed by Benue: 4.9%, Rivers: 3.8%, Taraba: 2.7%, Anambra: 2.4%, Enugu: 2.1%, Abia: 2.1%, Delta and Nasarawa states are tied at 1.9%, Edo and Bayelsa too are tied at 1.8%, while CR comes in at 1.7%.
Contacted, Uduak Daniel, NACA’s South South Zonal Co-ordinator, told www.calitown.com that, “Cross River State must focus on a concerted state response. The State Agency for the Control of AIDS, SACA, needs to be more strategic in addressing the peculiar drivers of the epidemic in the state. Government also has to make funds available for interventions and ensure too that it engages all key actors and stakeholders.”
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