RIVERS GOVERNMENT OFFERS FREE TREATMENT FOR HIV PATIENTS
The Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, made the free treatment known, while playing host to delegation from the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention under the auspices of the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria visited the governor in Port Harcourt.
“We will stop all fees collected as user-fees for persons under the HIV/AIDS treatment programme,” a statement from the Government House, Port Harcourt, quoted the governor to have said in response to an appeal from the delegation.
“This is our contribution to the partnership with the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. We will take over the payment of the HIV/AIDS user-fees for the public health facilities in the State”, he said
Penpushing further reports that, the Governor disclosed that the Deputy Governor of the State, as a Medical Doctor, would be in charge of “the new regime of HIV/AIDS treatment in the State”.
“We are committed to working with the United States Government to ensure we tackle this disease. The Rivers State Government will take all necessary measures to assist the centre in this current push across the state,” he added.
Penpushing further reports that, Head of the United States of America(USA), delegation, Tedd Ellerbrock, reportedly said 210, 000 persons were currently infected with HIV/AIDS in the State,adding that out of this number, only 40, 000 patients were on anti-retroviral treatment,.
The team leader appealed to the Rivers Government to take over the payment of user-fees for persons living with HIV/AIDS who want to receive anti-retroviral treatment, stressing that, ‘the United States Government is funding the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria in this effort. The U.S government will be deeply involved in all the 23 local government areas.
“We will deeply appreciate if you will help us with the user-fees. We have found that if there are user-fees, people are discouraged from coming forward to seek treatment. We are providing the anti-retroviral drugs and the U.S government is paying for the programme,” he said.
