The State government has restated its unflinching commitment to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in Cross River.
The Director General of the State Action Committee on AIDS, Dr. Etcheri Ansa reaffirmed government’s commitment, Wednesday, at a media parley building up to the World Aids Day.
With this year’s celebration themed “Equalise to end AIDS, equal access to treatment and prevention service.m,” the Director General said the State will continue to strengthen its collaboration with development partners in a bid to bridge existing gaps and deepen user-friendly HIV Services across the state.
Dr. Ansa, who was represented by Grace Ibor, thanked donor agencies and development partners for the remarkable efforts towards HIV response in the state.
“Cross River State has made great strides towards meeting the worldwide 95% target and the state is grateful to it’s development partners. We are also grateful for the tremendous work that is going on at the local government level to ensure people have access to HIV support services.
“We hope to work with you to close the existing gaps so we can deliver user friendly HIV Services. As we plan towards 2023, we are hoping that all the gaps will be bridged”, she said.
The CRSACA DG pointed out that the 2% current prevalence rate of the State is still higher than the national prevalence, placing the Cross River in 12th position, leaves much to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Emmanuel Egbe, the Senior Technical Officer with the Excellent Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), said his organization, as lead partners, will remain committed to strengthening collaboration with relevant stakeholders in bridging existing gaps.
He said ECEWS has put in place mechanisms to strengthen existing collaborations, while continuous capacity building for personnel is carried out to enhance HIV services in the State.
Also speaking,, the head of Office, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Cross River, Marija Rakovic thanked the government for providing a conducive environment for partners to thrive in the State.
Rakovic who spoke through Ike Nteigbanam, the ASRH/HIV Analyst, pledged to continue working with the state to provide access to universal HIV prevention and support services.
