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By Chidi Nkwopara
Friday, August 13, 2004
OWERRI—AN HIV/AIDS specialist from the World Bank Office, Abuja, Miss Jane Miller, has described as “very alarming”, the increasing rate of the pandemic in Nigeria.Miss Miller raised the alarm in Owerri, Imo State capital, while addressing representatives of the StateAction Committee on AIDS (SACA) and its sub committee, the State Project Team (SPT), during her officialworking trip to the state.”About 600 people get infected hourly with the dreaded virus, while no fewer than 800 persons die every 24 hours in the country, as a result of the same medical problem”, Miss Miller lamented.She explained that she was in the state to assess the performance of the Committee as it affects World Bank assisted projects on HIV/AIDS.”My task in Imo State is very simple.
I am here to assess at first hand, the performance of the StateAction Committee on Aids, as well as the State Project Team, as it affects World Bank assisted projects on HIV/AIDS”, Miss Miller said.According to the HIV/AIDS specialist, the World Bank doled out $1 billion for its projects on HIV/AIDS in Africa, disclosing that of the sum, Nigeria got a share of $90 million.”Following the premium which the World Bank attaches to the fight against the deadly scourge, it doled out$1 billion for its projects on HIV/AIDS in Africa. Out of this total sum, Nigeria received $90 million”,Miller further disclosed.
While commending the state committee on HIV/AIDS and the State Project Team for working in unison to actualize the purpose for which they set up, Miss Miller also thanked the state government for its contribution and support to the success of the World Bank assisted projects in the state. Speaking also, the SACA representative, Dr. Eme Njoku, told the World Bank representative that Imo people are very keen on the project and assured her that they would work hard to ensure that the fight against the pandemic succeeds in the state. He thanked Miss Miller for her concern over the success of the programme in the state. In his own speech, the Project Manager, SACA, Dr. Benjamin Nwammadu, explained that the Committee was structured in such a way that it will accommodate Muslims, Christians, government, the army and police formations, in addition to various other committees and the media.
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