APIN Public Health Initiatives (APIN) and Plateau State Ministry of Health Launch HIV Treatment Surge

HIV Treatment Surge will accelerate HIV case finding and treatment for HIV-positive individuals in Plateau State JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA — March 18, 2021 — APIN Public Health Initiatives, a leading non-governmental organization known for providing prevention, care and treatment services to people living with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other diseases of Public Health importance is partnering with the Plateau State Ministry of Health to launch an initiative called the HIV Treatment Surge in the state. APIN Public Health Initiatives has been implementing HIV projects in Plateau State since 2000 and is currently implementing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in fifteen of Plateau State’s seventeen Local Government Areas (LGAs). The HIV Treatment Surge is launched in response to the results of the National AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) that puts the prevalence of HIV in Plateau State at 1.5% and PEPFAR’s classification of the state as a Yellow State due to its low treatment saturation and unmet HIV treatment need. Surge aims to close the gap towards achieving the UNAIDS 95:95:95 goal by expanding access to HIV testing services to 6,902 people living with HIV and retaining 47,100 people on Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART) by September 2021. The launch event was presided over by the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong and attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nigeria team and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), APIN Public Health Initiatives, Dr. Prosper Okonkwo and other relevant stakeholders. About APIN Public Health Initiatives APIN Public Health Initiatives is a leading NGO with headquarters in Abuja, and operational offices in Benue, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Plateau states, that addresses diseases of public health importance and mitigates their impact using cutting-edge approaches in public health program management, capacity building, research and health information management in partnership with other stakeholders. APIN Media Team