The Executive Director and Project Manager of Anambra State Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, said Anambra state was targeting zero infection of HIV/AIDS by 2030.
The state, in marking the Worlds Aids Day in Awka, the state capital, featured youths and students walking some major business and residential areas on a road show to create awareness on prevention and control of HIV and AIDS.
Dr. Ibezim noted that the most important measure to take up presently against the scourge was prevention as the theme of the 2016 celebration echoes, “Hands on for HIV Prevention.”
He announced that the agency had beaten down stigmatization issues in the state as the law that would give certain rights to people living with HIV and AIDS was almost at the verge of passage by the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Dr Ibezim commended the state government and other development partners for the support the agency has been receiving noting that a lot more is still needed.
He urged the federal government to bridge the gap of deficit in funding so that the fight to achieve zero infection of HIV/AIDS in the country would be a reality.
He said, “It is very important that we remind ourselves of the need to step up prevention measures. Globally, we have over 78 million people infected with this scourge all over the world, and also we have a data that over 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS and associated illnesses.
“So with this global data and the Nigerian data, we are working together as a team to beat it down.
“Zero infection by 2030. That is the target, to wipe it out in the world. So we don’t want to be left out, so that’s why we are stepping up this tempo.”