World HIV/AIDS Day: Borno recorded 1,902 new cases in 2017 – Commissioner

BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI

The Borno state commissioner for Health, Dr, Haruna Mshelia has said that a total of 1,902 new cases of HIV virus were recorded in Borno state, making the total HIV testing and counseling services in the state to 1,402,227.

Dr. Haruna Mshelia who disclosed this at a press briefing to mark “World AIDS Day” at the Conference Hall of the EOC, Maiduguri said the Day with the theme “the right to health” was to ensure that all people have right to health, HIV persons inclusive.

He said the state has 15 HIV treatment centers across the 15 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state including Dalori 1 and 2 IDPs camps, NYSC, Monguno, Bakasi,  Madinatu, Kofa Konduga, MOGOLIS, Muna Garage among others.

Dr. Haruna said  “we also have 12 Anti Retroviral Therapy centers in UMTH, Umaru Shehu, Mamman Shuwa General hospitals, General Hospitals Biu, Askira, Briyel, Lasa, Kwaya, Konduga, Gwoza, Bama and Monguno”

According to him, a total of 236,404 persons were tested so far in 2017 in all the sites, with 52 child to mother prevention sites, stressing that Borno state recorded only 3.4 percent growth considering its population of 5,827,153 persons.

He said “the state is currently constructing 8 new General Hospitals in Ngaram, Maimusari, Gongolong, Baga, Borgu, Azare among others with a view to ensure 100 percent health care delivery across the state.”

Dr. Mshelia said the state has expended over N4.2 billion on the health sector with the procurement of  5 4D and 3D ultra modern scanning machines, in addition to the construction of new Intensive Care Units at the state’s specialist Hospital.

On staff welfare, Dr. Mshelia said the Borno state governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima has signed into lwa the new 65 years retirement age for medical workers in the state to boost their moral, as well as constructed and commissioned new doctors’ Village in Gidan Madara, Maiduguri

He commended the donor partners such as UNICEF, MSF, UNHCR among others, as well as the traditional rulers, religious bodies, media and civil Society organizations for their contributions to the Polio, Measles, HIV campaigns and immunization programmes across the state.