KNSG spends N47.6m on HIV/AIDs-official

Kano state government has from last year expended N47.6m towards the prevention and control of HIV/AIDs in the state. The Director General, Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDs (KSACA) , Dr. Usman Bashir who disclosed this during a press briefing as part of activities marking his one year in office, said the money […]

Kano state government has from last year expended N47.6m towards the prevention and control of HIV/AIDs in the state.

The Director General, Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDs (KSACA) , Dr. Usman Bashir who disclosed this during a press briefing as part of activities marking his one year in office, said the money was used in purchasing HIV test kits, Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs) and other consumables.

Giving the break-down, the DG said twelve million, four hundred and forty-six thousand naira and eighty Kobo (N12, 446, 000.80) was expended in purchasing Anti-Retroviral drugs for the people living with HIV/AIDs, while twenty-two million and thirty thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira, eighty kobo (N22, 030, 750.80) was used to procure HIV test kits, adding that the remaining N13, 180, 643.80 was spent on other consumable items.

Dr. Bashir commended Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the support, describing his active involvement in complementing the agency’s war against the disease as a paradigm shift in recent times, unlike in the past when the support were mainly from donor agencies.

He said, through the intervention the agency has been able to overcome some logistical challenges thus expanding its coverage to rural populace.

‘’In the past the CD4 machine is only in the municipality, so anybody from Tudun Warawa would have to come to Kano to access it, somebody from Sanyawa, Bitchi, Doguwa all would have to come to Kano to access the machine. Now we have gotten 3 which we will put one in each of the three locations including Tudun wada, Wudil and Gwarzo so that people around these areas can easily benefit from the services, by that we are improving access and we are making life easier for rural populace’’ he said.

He craved for an all inclusive approach involving government agencies and organisations, non-governmental organisations as well as religious and traditional institutions with a view to spur people to voluntarily go for test to know their HIV status.

The DG who expressed commitment towards achieving zero prevalence rate by 2030, revealed that 280, 000 persons cutting across the 44 local government areas of the state are living with the disease.