As part of the efforts to checkmate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, the Federal Government is to commence an initiative known as Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey NAIIS.
The survey will take random sample of two thousand candidates in Rivers State and will last for one month.
The south South Mobilizer of Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, NAIIS, ANAYO OZOWUBA in an interview with correspondent Rachael Ramson said the survey will also provide statistics on the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Rivers State.
ANAYO OZOWUBA said the exercise will be carried out by professionals and will enable government budget appropriately in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“We have talked to stakeholders, traditional leaders, CDC chairmen etc and they have promised to work with us he said.
OZOWUBA also said they are working with the Nigeria population commission which has already mapped out areas where the samples will be collated.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health Professor PRINCEWILL CHIKE said the new data collection will help the state get accurate statistics on HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the State.
He said the earlier statistics published by the federal Government which stated that 15.2 per cent of people living in Rivers state are positive of the virus cannot be accepted.
“How can 15.2 per cent of people in the state have AIDS? That means in every six persons one is positive, which is wrong” he said.
Professor Princewill Chike also said with NAIIS, some of those riverine communities will be accessed and samples will be taken and the right statistics will be published.
He, therefore, appealed to Residents of the State to make themselves available for the exercise and promised that all samples will be confidential following the laws guiding it
