Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, currently has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the State with 19.8 percent. The Executive Director, Rivers State Agency for the Control of AIDS (RIVSACA), Dr Chimezie Okeh stated this yesterday during the first stakeholders forum on HIV/AIDS in the local government area.
Dr Okeh, who stated this in his presentation at the occasion, also noted that Asari-Toru LGA was the least in prevalence with 1.9 per cent, followed by Ogu/Bolo LGA with 1.9 per cent.
He stated that like Rivers State which has a prevalence rate of 6.0 per cent, higher than the nation’s 4.1 per cent, 13 of the 23 LGAs in the state also have prevalence rate above the national status with Gokana, Oyigbo, Ahoada East, Etche, Khana and Port Harcourt City Local Government Area leading the pack.
The RIVSACA boss further revealed that the increase was as a result of several factors which include low patronage of antenatal care services.
According to Okeh, a survey carried out in 2010 revealed that out of 523 women who attended antenatal care services in the general hospital, none delivered in the hospital.
In 2011, out of 993 who attended antenatal in the hospital, only 22 returned to deliver in the hospital, while so far in 2012, only 10 had come to deliver out of 1,063 who had been attending anrenatal services the hospital, Dr Okeh revealed.
In his presentation, the Director, HIV Prevention, RIVSACA, Dr Naziga Francis identified the cause of the epidemic in Gokana to include. multiple concurrent sexual partners, lack of sexually transmitted infection (STI) services and cultural factors.
Others, he said, are cultural norms that encourage men to have multiple sexual partners, widowhood practices as well as sirah” culture which does not allow first female children to be married even when they can bear children.
While reacting to the increase in the prevalence’s rate of HIV/AIDS in Gokana, the Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, placed the blame on the doorstep of the council leadership for not giving adequate attention to issues concerning HIV/AIDS.
Senator Abe urged the leadership of the LGA to immediately come up with a strategy to massively mobilize and sensitive people of the LGA on HIV/AIDS, and promised to personally lead the campaign.
Chairman of the Local Government Council, Hon Demua Ledee Demua assured of his readiness to aggressively carry out programmes that would check the trend.
Source: OgoniNews
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