Number Of Nigerians Living With HIV/AIDS Drops To 1.9m

The number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria has dropped from 3.2million to 1.9million, a new report states.

The report is contained in the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey which was organised by the Federal government and funded by the United States Government and other relevant stakeholders.

According to the report, the number of women living with HIV/AIDS is double the number of men living with the virus.

The state with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS is now Akwa Ibom. The survey also showed that Northern Nigeria has a lower HIV/AIDS burden than south.

It states that while the North-West has the lowest prevalence rate at 0.6 per cent, the South-South geopolitical zone has the highest with 3.1 per cent.

Briefing journalists after the report was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, the Director-General of the National Agency for the control of HIV/AIDS,  Dr. Sani Aliyu, said Nigeria has dropped from number two to number four on the ranking of countries with highest HIV prevalence.

Aliyu said Nigeria is behind South Africa, Mozambique and India.