The Yobe State Agency for the Control of AIDS (YOSACA) on Monday said the state’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate stands at 0.4 per cent, describing it as one of the lowest in the country.
The Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Jibrin Adamu Damazai, stated this during a news conference in Damaturu to mark the 2025 World AIDS Day.
Damazai said that despite the low prevalence rate, the agency remained committed to intensifying efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission and ensure improved access to treatment across the state.
He said that 9,854 people living with HIV/AIDS were currently receiving treatment, adding that all had access to the required drugs and clinical services.
The executive director said the agency had expanded testing and treatment coverage by incorporating 10 general hospitals and establishing 84 community centres to complement the existing comprehensive health centres in Damaturu, Potiskum, Fika, Jakusko, Gashu’a, Nguru and Geidam.
“In 2025, we procured 120 million HIV test kits to cover gaps created by the withdrawal of many donor agencies. These test kits were distributed across the state to help identify new infected persons,” he said.
Damazai commended the Federal Government’s initiative to begin local production of HIV/AIDS drugs, noting that the move would help reduce dependence on external donor support, especially in view of the U.S. funding cut.
He appreciated the contributions of development partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNFPA, NACA, Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNi) and the Society for Family Health (SFH), urging them to sustain their support to enable the state achieve epidemic control by 2030.
