ThisDay,  Saturday, May 23, 2009. Page 7.

5 Million Nigerians Live with HIV

The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) has estimated the number of people living with Human Immune Virus (HIV) in Nigeria at slightly lower than five million, with the South-south region having the highest prevalence. It says about 850,000 of this figure with compromised immunity needs treatment, while about 300,000 are presently on the treatment. The head of the Institute, Dr. Patrick Dakum, disclosed these facts in Jos during the Institute’s one-day orientation program with Medical Directors and Programme Coordinators of General Hospitals and Tertiary Health Centers in the North Central Region. He also noted that about 56,000 children who are born with the infection at present live with it in Nigeria, blaming the present prevalence level on lack of basic facilities and infrastructure at the Primary Health Care Centers. According to him, the national prevalence rate of the virus is 4.6 percent. He however added that the Institute in partnership with the Ministry of Health is working hard in collaboration with various other organizations such as USAID and NACA to upgrade the facilities at such health care centers. Such upgrading with emphasis on screening, he noted, would bring a marked improvement on delivery to victims.