Leadership (Abuja)
Moses John
8 September 2008
Minister of FCT, Dr Aliyu Umar Modibbo, at the weekend, described tuberculosis as a leading cause of death in the sub-Sahara Africa because 5,000 people die of the dreaded disease daily.
Modibbo, who was speaking at the inauguration of the Niger Delta HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, Malaria control and community education programme organised by Global Initiative for African Development (GIFAD), said "we have lost able bodied men in their prime to the scourge of HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and malaria," adding the victims cut across religion and ethnic barriers.
The minister, who was represented by Director Public Health Department FCDA, Dr. Mrs. Shade Momoh, disclosed that 2005 sentinel survey showed that FCT has 6.3% of the epidemic.
She, however, commended different individuals and donor agencies for bringing down the prevalence rate in the FCT as compared to 8.4% in 2001.
He added that the administration, in tackling malaria, had provided free malaria test and treatment to children under five and pregnant women in all government hospitals and primary health centres.
Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Chief Executive of Global Initiative for African Development and the National Coordinator, Niger-Delta HIV/AIDS. T.B and malaria control, Rev. Abraham Breakforth, blamed the prevalence rate of the disease in the region to the unrest in the area.
Breakforth said "based on the analysis, the destructive livelihoods leads to the emergences of alternative coping strategies, one of which is increased transactional sexual networking leading to the spread of STIs/HIV."
He lamented that "the break down of family and social network leaves them headed by women who may be forced to offer sex in exchange for food shelter or protection".
He said GIFAD intends to use the people of the region to eliminate them about the dreaded disease, so as to reduce the prevalence rate in the region.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
