The regular deployment of security agencies to Plateau state due to the security challenge facing the state has been blamed for the rising rates of HIV/AIDS cases in the state. This was revealed by the program director of Plateau Action Committee Against AIDS (PLACA), Dr Francis Ajang Magaji.

While speaking at a press conference on the world AIDS day, Dr Magaji said “Plateau HIV/AIDS rate stands at 7.7% and remains the 6th highest cases among the 36 states of the federation. National Action Committee against Aids (NACA) has listed Plateau state as on among the 12 leading states in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

The regular deployment of security agencies to Plateau state due to the security challenge facing the state has been blamed for the rising rates of HIV/AIDS cases in the state. This was revealed by the program director of Plateau Action Committee Against AIDS (PLACA), Dr Francis Ajang Magaji.

While speaking at a press conference on the world AIDS day, Dr Magaji said “Plateau HIV/AIDS rate stands at 7.7% and remains the 6th highest cases among the 36 states of the federation. National Action Committee against Aids (NACA) has listed Plateau state as on among the 12 leading states in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

The director added, “It is no longer news that any society all over the world where security agencies are deployed for peace keeping operation do record high rate of HIV/AIDS. Plateau is not an exception to that trend. “Some of these security personnel have traversed several countries in Africa on peace keeping operation. Then after this mission they are redeployed for internal peace keeping operations here in Nigeria especially in Plateau state.

“The Federal Government is responsible for the deployment of security agencies to Plateau state, we dong have the power or control over the security personnel to confirm their status. Once they are posted, they come. However, President Jonathan has tasked the Minister of Defence to look towards ensuring that as the security personnel returns from their peace keeping mission all over Africa, their status should be confirmed, it is part of the renewed strategies the federal government is adopting to fight the spread of the virus.”

Dr Magaji also said that, “Majority of women in the state do not access antenatal facilities in the hospitals during pregnancy. Only 40% of the women go to hospital to register for antenatal. This has led to high rate of mother-child HIV/AIDS infection, at the moment about 800,000 children are infected with the virus through birth.”

Plateau State commissioner for health, Dr Pam Dakwak said, “The state implementation team is being constituted by the state government in preparation for the tough battle against the spread of the virus.”

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Deployment of peace keepers responsible for rising HIV/AIDS cases in Plateau