Borno Govt approves N45m counterpart fund

The Borno Government has approved N45million counterpart fund for HIV/AIDS development programmes, Malam

Barkindo, the Executive Secretary, Borno State Agency For the Control of HIV/AIDS and Malaria ( BOSACAM ), spoke on Sunday in Maiduguri in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ).

He said that the approval by Gov. Kashim Shettima has demonstrated government’s commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state.

“Since I came on board, we have embarked on resources mobilisation, advocacy mission to various humanitarian support Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs) in the state.

“So far, we have written to 39 of them, seeking for support on any of their interventions.

“This is because the vast majority of our members are either living in the host communities or in the IDPs camps in the state capital.

“We want a situation where special priority attention is given to persons living with such ailment especially in the IDPS camps,’’ Barkindo noted.

He said that UNICEF has been supporting the agency in the areas of screening, drugs administration, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) is intervening in the area of surveillance.

Barkindo said that three staff of the agency are stationed in “each of the 16 IDPs camps in the state capital to conduct anti retroviral therapy to persons living with HIV/AIDS.

“We have also worked toward encouraging pregnant women to go for antenatal clinics and test, so as to know their status and check mother-to-child transmission.’’