Over 16,000 Edo State Residents Living With HIV &AIDs - Dr Binkola

       The project manager of Edo state Agency for the control of HIV and AIDs,Dr Binkola Marietu,has on Sunday revealed that non less than 16,000 people in Edo State were living with the deadly virus.
      Binkola made this known at a forum
to mark the 2016 International Aids Candle
Light Memorial held in Auchi, Etsako West
Local Government Area of the state.
The International Aids Candlelight Memorial
is celebrated to
remember all those who
had died of HIV and AIDS. During the
ceremony, names of the deceased are
usually read out by a cross section of
communities, families and partners.
``We have about 16,000 people living with
HIV and AIDS in Edo state. ``The state
government is committed to the funding of
HIV and AIDs and to see that this figure is
reduced to the barest minimum," she
said. Binkola said that articulated vehicles
parks were considered some of the “hot
spots” where drivers engaged in high act of
immorality, adding that the agency would
intensify campaign on the disease.
She said billboards on HIV would be sited at
every of such parks in the state to further
sensitise people to the scourge. ``All kinds
of people stand at a disadvantage on the
question of HIV and AIDS; so, what we do is
we sensitize, we distribute condoms. ``HIV
testing and counselling is free and we teach
them how to use it and use it properly," she
said.
Binkola called for attitudinal change towards
the disease and advised the public to stop
discrimination against those living with the
disease in order to reduce its
spread. Earlier, Dr Bright Oniovokukor,
Coordinator, Civil Society for HIV/AIDs in
Nigeria (CISHAN), Edo chapter, said that the
forum would bring renewed international
attention to the importance of safer sex.
Oniovokukor said that the forum would also
send positive message to young, sexually
active people that using condoms
consistently was necessary in averting
contacting the disease. ``The actual aim of
the programme is to remember those who
have died from HIV and Aids and also to
encourage those who are living with the
virus to live positively.
``The programme would help to create
awareness that would help prevention of
HIV and AIDS in our society," he said. The
coordinator said that there was need for
governments and relevant agencies to
intensify awareness on the disease. ``Many
people do not still have information about
HIV and AIDS at the moment and this has to
be done because some of our adolescents
are migrating into the youthful and risky age
group. ``There is need to keep the
awareness very high so as to prevent the
spread of HIV virus," he said.