Sokoto — Six percent of the total population of Sokoto state is infected with AIDs, according to the recent research by the state's Agency for the Control of AIDs and Tuberculosis (SOSACAT).

The major challenge to the government now is how to prevent the remaining 94 per cent of its population from being infected and to provide treatment, care and support to those infected, the deputy director for information in the state government, Alhaji Abubakar Junaidu, has said.

The percentage of the infected people was far below that of 2001 but above that of 2003 which were placed at 8.5 and 3.2 per cent respectively.

It was against this background that the state and the local governments evolved measures to curtail the menace in their respective areas.

At the state level, Junaidu said government had increased budgetary allocation to SOSACAT, in addition to establishing a similar agency at the local government areas of the state.

Junaidu revealed this yesterday at the one-day train the trainers' workshop held at the premises of the ministry of Information, Sokoto.

According to him, there was a serious need of behavioural change among the populace, saying stigmatization of AIDs victims would only compound their problem.

"AIDS victims should not be isolated. They should be loved and cared for," he said.

He appealed to media professionals to support the government in the crusade by enlighting the public on the danger of stigmasing victims and for them to avoid casual sex. It would be recalled in Binji Local Government of the state, a committee was set up to regulate marriage ceremonies which the chairman of the areas said was to cut extravagance that always leads to untold hardship to potential couples as well as their respective families and discourages youths from getting married , hence lead to other socio cultural implications that may resulted to dangerous diseases such as AIDs.