Women formed the majority of victims of the HIV/AIDS which claimed about 400,000 lives in Nigeria in 2007, just as N800 million has been earmarked to be expended in Nasarawa State on the control of the disease in 2008.
The coordinator of the Strength Nigeria Response (SNR), Dr. Nsubuga Ramathan, stated this during a one-day consultative forum for media stakeholders in Nasarawa State.
He explained that the situation report on the infected persons indicated that Nasarawa State was currently having about 6.7 per cent prevalent rate in Nigeria. According to him, the prevalent analysis local government by local government showed that Lafia has about 9.2 percent, Garaku 8.7 per cent, and Doma and Nasarawa Toto 4.3 per cent and 4.7per cent respectively .
According to him, the cure for the disease was yet to be discovered noting that the major mode of transmitting the disease remained through unprotected sex with infected persons, blood transfusion and mother to child transmission of HIV.
In the communiqu� that was issued at the end of the programme the SNR stated that media executives should evolve work place policy that would cater for people living with HIV /AIDS (PLWHA) and people affected by HIV/AIDS (PABA).
He stressed that those that were affected in media organisations should not be victimised, rather they should be protected to show as example to discouraging discrimnations against the PLWHAs and the PABAs.
Dr. Ramathan said presently 40,000 people were on anti-retroviral out of estimated 300,000-700,000 infected in Nigeria an indication that many are yet to accept the efficacy of the ARV