KANO, North-West, Nigeria – Kano state Government has announced that out of the 138,430 tested for HIV, 4,728 have been found to be positive from January 2023 to date.

With this figure, it indicates that a total of 46,732 persons are living with the disease and receiving treatment in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, disclosed this on Friday while delivering a speech at the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day in Kano.

He, however, said that the state has improved its strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting tests for 95 per cent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 per cent are found positive.

“We have tested a total of 138,430 people for HIV and found 4,728 positive and have successfully initiated new 4,140 HIV-infected persons on ART from January 2023 to date,” he said.

He noted that currently, the state has 46,732 people living with HIV receiving treatment. “We have improved our strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting HIV testing for 95 per cent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 per cent turned HIV positive,” the Commissioner stated.

Dr. Labaran further explained efforts by the state in managing the situation where he said, for the first time, the state has achieved a state HIV budget target of 3 per cent, N2 billion, of the total health budget in the proposed budget submitted to the state Assembly.

The event themed, “Let Communities Lead” was in collaboration with the USAID in Kano as well as other partners.

He said that the state government appreciated the support of partners like USAID, LHSS, NEPWHAN, and KanSLAM for their advocacy engagements towards achieving the KSACA’s budget.

Earlier, Director-General of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, said the agency has brought on board 600 persons living with AIDS to benefit from the free healthcare service package introduced by the state government.