14,569 people including pregnant women tested HIV positive in FCT in 2016 - AG. Secretary of Health, FCT

The Acting Secretary of Health, Mrs. Grace Achu-Odey, has said that 14,569 people  tested HIV positive in 2016. Achu-Odey, who disclosed this recently while briefing newsmen in Abuja on the activities of the secretariat in 2016, also said a total of 265 HIV sites were established in health facilities within the six area councils to ensure that those who are positive accessed care.

"And a total of 2,632 pregnant women who were HIV positive received the ARV treatment for prevention of mother to child transmission," said Mrs Achu-Odey.

Adding that from January to December 2016, it procured and distributed drugs worth N300 million to its health facilities across the six area councils.

She acknowledged that the efforts of the secretariat in drugs procurement was not sufficient for the number of hospitals, but that work was in progress towards procuring drugs in bulk from pharmaceutical companies to meet the needs of primary and secondary health facilities.

She said achievements recorded in 2016 included securing full accreditation for FCT hospitals (Maitama, Wuse and Asokoro) for residency training, obstetrics and gynaecology, for five years, with effect from July, 2016.

"We secured accreditation from the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria and West African College of Physicians for post graduate residency training in family medicine, to enhance capacity building and improve quality of care.

"With the challenges in finances, it is not easy to train medical officers up to their specialist level, so for us  to achieve that, it is a plus for us. Because it means that we would have our doctors carrying out their trainings within our facilities, while providing services to the populace of the FCT,"

Source: Daily Trust