.70,000 Infants Infected Annually With HIV/AIDS In Nigeria – NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has revealed that 70,000 infants are infected with HIV/AIDS through mother to child transmission in Nigeria annually.The Director-General of the agency; Professor John Idoko told Channels Television that Nigeria bears the largest burden of HIV positive women who transmit to their babies.

He said out of 6 million pregnancies annually, 230,000 are HIV positive and mother to child transmission. 70,000 positive infants as the outcome annually, making this group a major source of HIV transmission followed by sex workers.

On the prevalence rate of the HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, geographical statistics from NACA, places Benue state as the highest in the country followed closely by Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory.States like Kebbi, Ekiti, Jigawa and Katsina have very low prevalence rates.

Jonathan Doles Out N5.7 Billion To Victims Of 2011 Post-Election Violence

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of a total sum of N5,747,694,780.00 to nine states of the federation for direct disbursement to those who suffered losses of properties, means of livelihood and places of worship in the post-election violence of 2011.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati.

It will be recalled that following the post-election violence and civil disturbances in some states after the April 2011 elections President Jonathan set up a Panel of Enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu to among other things, identify the spread and extent of losses suffered across the country.

The statement said “following the submission of the Lemu Panel’s report and its adoption by the Federal Executive Council, the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing was mandated to assess the reported losses and damage to properties in all affected states.

“Based on the Ministry’s report, President Jonathan has approved the release of funds to nine of the 14 affected states as follows:

1. Bauchi – N1,574,879,000.00
2. Sokoto – N55,888,506.00
3. Zamfara – N93,253,485.00
4. Niger – N433,375,875.00
5. Jigawa – N208,667,634.00
6. Katsina – N1,973,209,440.00
7. Kano – N944,827,000.00
8. Adamawa – N420,089,840.00
9. Akwa Ibom – N43,504,000.00
Total – N5,747,694,780.00

Methinks the money would not get to the rightful hands