14,262 persons living with HIV in Yobe – NEPWHAN
14,262 persons living with HIV in Yobe – NEPWHAN
No fewer than 14,262 persons are living with HIV in Yobe and accessing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) within and outside the state.
Mallam Adamu Kaduwa, Chairman, Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Yobe Chapter, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Thursday.
According to him, there are over 57,748 children, spouses and other dependents of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), whose wellbeing is directly or indirectly linked to HIV response in the state.
“These are not just figures; they are real families — women, men, caregivers, young people, workers, and community builders whose collective stability also strengthens the social and economic stability of Yobe.
“ This is why disruptions in the HIV response affect more than health outcomes — they affect livelihoods, household survival, and the future of thousands,” he said.
Kaduwa, therefore, appealed to the state government to provide sustained and expanded empowerment programmes for PLHIV.
“The funding cuts and global disruptions have weakened the income base of many of our members.
“Empowering PLHIV through skills acquisition, livelihood support, grants, and community-based initiatives will not only reduce economic vulnerabilities but also improve treatment adherence, family stability, and social cohesion.
“Empowerment is part of treatment. Empowerment is part of prevention. Empowerment is part of overcoming disruptions,” the chairman said.
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He also appealed to the state government to assist NEPWHAN with a permanent office accommodation, operational vehicle and establishment of a medical and humanitarian assistance fund dedicated to the group’s activities in the state.
Kaduwa said the office would serve as a training hub, counselling point and a safe space for PLHIV, while the vehicle would aid constant movement across the 17 local government areas of the state to engage field workers and over 33 support groups.
The chairman thanked Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YODEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for their humanitarian relief programmes and support packages to the group.
He reiterated NEPWHAN determination to continue to support, educate, empower, mobilize, and protect PLHIV across the State.
