UYO, April 12, (THEWILL) - At least 300,000 persons in Akwa Ibom state have tested positive for the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome as scientists battle globally to deal with the disease.
The chairman, Akwa Ibom State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA) Dr. Martin Akpan disclosed this Tuesday, in Uyo during an orientation interaction with a cross section of 2011/2012 freshers of the University of Uyo.

By this number of certified victims, the state ranks second on HIV/AIDS prevalent rate in the country, according to the chairman.

Dr. Martin said the rating calls for serious concern by every citizen of the state to curtail the spread noting that the state in the last two years was rated fourth in the country.

He maintained that the wild spread of the infection is not unconnected with the compactness of people in the state which fastens movement of people from one city to another.

Akpan who is a medical doctor by profession also noted that the attitude of residents even the elites towards the scourge was another major problem saying that people still see AIDS as witchcraft attack in most parts of the state.

The SACA chairman also reasoned the state being in the oil rich zone contributes to the spread of the ailment.

He however advocated for healthy living among the people living in the state.

Earlier, the state coordinator SACA, Dr Ako Akpabio advised that the fight against AIDS should not be left to only health workers rather everybody should be involved to curb its spread.

Akpabio charged parents not to shy away from educating their children and wards on early sex education.

“When the children are aware they will not involve themselves in illicit sex so I charge you to spread the information to our children,” he stated.

http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/8207-Revealed-300000-Infected-With-HIVAIDS-Akwa-Ibom.html

That is north of 5% of the population of the state. More than one out of every twenty people. I'm a bit surprised no politicians are talking about this. It seems to me that it is important to get it under control there before things get worse.

300,000 FOUND, MANY MORE UNNOTICED.

Goodluck Nigeria.

Ileke-IdI:

300,000 FOUND, MANY MORE UNNOTICED.

Goodluck Nigeria.

Well said. Nigerians need to focus less on tribalism, Goodluck vs. Buhari and more on solving the very real problems that faces it.

Chei! This is very sad indeed. The numbers are probably higher. These are the people that we know of.

that figure could be much higher

This map of Africa tells a lot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-HIV-Prevalance-in-Africa.png

Didn't know Cameroon was so high. Maybe that has something to do with it.

^^Something has seriously gone wrong in the Southern African countries. . .scary.
It is sad to state that there are states and cities in Nigeria with even higher prevalence of HIV infection than Akwa-Ibom (though thankfully not at the level of Southern Africa); Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Benue State, though Akwa-Ibom still ranks up there. The national prevalence is just below 5% (can't remember the exact figures now).

how many people are even in the state to start with

so what would be the HIV population of lagos

shocking

The news is not true . . . . I have been to AkwaIbom and the people there seem healthy and sound. Anyone who has not been to Akwa Ibom in recent years ought to go back there to see. This report is not true at all.

aletheia:

^^Something has seriously gone wrong in the Southern African countries. . .scary.
It is sad to state that there are states and cities in Nigeria with even higher prevalence of HIV infection than Akwa-Ibom (though thankfully not at the level of Southern Africa); Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Benue State, though Akwa-Ibom still ranks up there. The national prevalence is just below 5% (can't remember the exact figures now).

It makes me very sad. Makes me even sadder that they aren't making any headway. Are the messages of "Condom usage, less prostitution, monogamy"  just not sticking? Will people even listen? Can people even listen? If you are a poor woman and have bills to pay in Nigeria, what exactly do you do? It isn't like the economy is vibrant in Nigeria like it is in some other places. . . unemployment is very high.

I don't know what the answer is. I hope people are thinking about it, though.

Kobojunkie:

The news is not true . . . . I have been to AkwaIbom and the people there seem healthy and sound.

^
For someone who claims to be in the US; you show appalling ignorance of the natural history of HIV infection. Please note that AIDS is just the later manifestation of HIV. So let me educate you like we educate our HIV-infected patients in Nigeria: [size=14pt]"HIV no dey show for face"[/size]

ekt_bear:

It makes me very sad. Makes me even sadder that they aren't making any headway.

^
It's sad. But some headway is being made. There is more awareness of the infection now. The messages are going out and recent. . .sentinel surveys seem to indicate a drop in prevalence. Also less people are dying of HIV/AIDS thanks to increased availability of the antiretroviral drugs; like in the clinic where I work; all our patients are on free antiretrovirals.

Fortunately, the epidemic in West Africa has not witnessed the explosive rates seen in East and Southern African.

Edited to add this:
Year HIV Prevalence (%)
1991 1.8
1993 3.8
1995 4.5
1999 5.4
2001        5.8
2003        5.0
2005 4.4
2008 4.6
2010 4.1
Source: National HIV Sero-prevalence Sentinel Survey (HSS) by National AIDS/STI Control Programme, FMoH(2010)

aletheia:

^
For someone who claims to be in the US; you show appalling ignorance of the natural history of HIV infection. Please note that AIDS is just the later manifestation of HIV. So let me educate you like we educate our HIV-infected patients in Nigeria: [size=14pt]"HIV no dey show for face"[/size]

Ironic.

Actually HIV does show. It does not show for the first few months, even years of conceiving  the viral fluids (blood, sperm, etc).

You should educate yourself more on the signs of HIV.

# Enlarged or swollen lymph nodes
# Headache
# Muscle pain
# Nausea and vomiting
# Neurologic symptoms
# Rash on the abdomen, arms and legs and face
#Thrush, a common fungal infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a yeast-like fungus
# Herpes infections that cause severe mouth, genital or anal sores
# Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin


Don't confuse HIV signs for other abnormalities. I'm suspecting that you've already been infected, esp since you're thinking HIV has to slap you in the face before you notice.

Nigeria has the 2nd highest rates of HIV/Aids in the world,

waka waka baby, wuru wuru baby, sawa sawa sawa le, sawa sawa sawa le ashawo

Ileke-IdI:

Ironic.

Actually HIV does show. It does not show for the first few months, even years of conceiving  the viral fluids (blood, sperm, etc).

You should educate yourself more on the signs of HIV.

# Enlarged or swollen lymph nodes
# Headache
# Muscle pain
# Nausea and vomiting
# Neurologic symptoms
# Rash on the abdomen, arms and legs and face
#Thrush, a common fungal infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a yeast-like fungus
# Herpes infections that cause severe mouth, focal place or anal sores
# Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin


Don't confuse HIV signs for other abnormalities. I'm suspecting that you've already been infected, esp since you're thinking HIV has to slap you in the face before you notice.

lol . . . @Ileke_idi, you should not have bothered responding that . My own post was to express how lame-brained similar logic posted on another thread by one of those on here was. ROFLMAO!!

I am guessing he knows what I mean . . . ROFLMAO!!

^Don't be silly. I guess you probably just googled some facts about HIV. FYI: I work with HIV patients as a doctor in an ambulatory care center in Nigeria. So don't think you can play those games with me. Go find out the natural history of HIV infection.

Ileke-IdI:

Ironic.

Actually HIV does show. It does not show for the first few months, even years of conceiving  the viral fluids (blood, sperm, etc).

^I guess Ileke-Idi can tell during those months - years when the patient is asymptomatic and healthy-looking that the person has HIV by just looking at the face. Like I told your sister Kobo: AIDS is just the later manifestation of HIV infection. Most of you think only of AIDS when you hear HIV.

Ileke-IdI:

# Enlarged or swollen lymph nodes

Apart from a clinical exam; how would you detect the enlarged lymph nodes of HIV infection. . .unless the individual presents with visibly enlarged cervical lymph nodes due to tuberculous adenitis or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (A degree of enlargement that HIV does not cause).

Ileke-IdI:

# Headache
# Muscle pain
# Nausea and vomiting

^
You 've no doubt suffered these from time to time. Am I to safely conclude that Ileke-idi has HIV infection?

Ileke-IdI:

# Neurologic symptoms

^
I doubt you know what this means. Just parroting words.

Ileke-IdI:

# Rash on the abdomen, arms and legs and face
#Thrush, a common fungal infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a yeast-like fungus
# Herpes infections that cause severe mouth, focal place or anal sores
# Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin

^
These imply immunosuppression. Again: educate yourself on the natural history of HIV infection; so that you know at what stage of the disease these begin to appear.

Ileke-IdI:

Don't confuse HIV signs for other abnormalities. I'm suspecting that you've already been infected, esp since you're thinking HIV has to slap you in the face before you notice.

^
Just betraying your ignorance. HIV actually masquerades like other illnesses. In historic times, it used to be syphilis (another STI) but in our time; it is now HIV infection. HIV infection affects all organ systems and so it is no surprise that it's presentation runs the gamut of all organ systems. Some of my patients first intimation of their infection was by the fact that they came down with a stroke.

Dudes. . . yeah, aletheia sounds like a doctor to me. He proly knows more than most of us.

kandiikane:

Nigeria has the 2nd highest rates of HIV/Aids in the world,

waka waka baby, wuru wuru baby, sawa sawa sawa le, sawa sawa sawa le ashawo

ms kandiikane, that is not true. Total #, yes, rate, no. They are two different things.

ekt_bear:

This map of Africa tells a lot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-HIV-Prevalance-in-Africa.png

Didn't know Cameroon was so high. Maybe that has something to do with it.

interesting map. If the map was to be more accurate, the top half of Nigeria will be greener (or yellow) and the south south/south east will probably be just as red as cameroon.  but I guess the rates on d map is based on aggregate statistics. I don't know the distribution in cameroon  though.

Jumbling words together is not a significant prove that you're correct.

Just betraying your ignorance. HIV actually masquerades like other illnesses. In historic times, it used to be syphilis (another STI) but in our time; it is now HIV infection. HIV infection affects all organ systems and so it is no surprise that it's presentation runs the gamut of all organ systems. Some of my patients first intimation of their infection was by the fact that they came down with a stroke.

Congrats, the main reason why I suggest you not mistake the signs of HIV for other abnormal symptoms.

You work with HIV/AIDs patient, then your failed attempt to pass HIV infection as totally asymptomatic is very disappointing.

A month or two of the  viral infection, those symptoms (I mentioned above) starts to show.  Of course, someone who is not intent on searching for facial HIV symptoms would not track it right away.

The signs of AIDs is more expressive and  lethal than HIV, but similar in more ways.

right @Ekt_bear

I googled prevalence rate and it gave me nigeria as the second highest but I get they meant numbers

Ileke-IdI:

Ironic.

Actually HIV does show. It does not show for the first few months, even years of conceiving  the viral fluids (blood, sperm, etc).

You should educate yourself more on the signs of HIV.

# Enlarged or swollen lymph nodes
# Headache
# Muscle pain
# Nausea and vomiting
# Neurologic symptoms
# Rash on the abdomen, arms and legs and face
#Thrush, a common fungal infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a yeast-like fungus
# Herpes infections that cause severe mouth, focal place or anal sores
# Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin


Don't confuse HIV signs for other abnormalities. I'm suspecting that you've already been infected, esp since you're thinking HIV has to slap you in the face before you notice.

I am not a doctor but I think you have em there . . .

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-symptoms

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/hiv/signs_and_symptoms.html

Jenifa_:

interesting map. If the map was to be more accurate, the top half of Nigeria will be greener (or yellow) and the south south/south east will probably be just as red as cameroon.  but I guess the rates on d map is based on aggregate statistics. I don't know the distribution in cameroon  though.

It would be interesting to see such a map for naija, I think. Hmm.

aletheia:

^Don't be silly. I guess you probably just googled some facts about HIV. FYI: I work with HIV patients as a doctor in an ambulatory care center in Nigeria. So don't think you can play those games with me. Go find out the natural history of HIV infection.
^I guess Ileke-Idi can tell during those months - years when the patient is asymptomatic and healthy-looking that the person has HIV by just looking at the face. Like I told your sister Kobo: AIDS is just the later manifestation of HIV infection. Most of you think only of AIDS when you hear HIV.
Apart from a clinical exam; how would you detect the enlarged lymph nodes of HIV infection. . .unless the individual presents with visibly enlarged cervical lymph nodes due to tuberculous adenitis or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (A degree of enlargement that HIV does not cause).
^
You 've no doubt suffered these from time to time. Am I to safely conclude that Ileke-idi has HIV infection?
^
I doubt you know what this means. Just parroting words.
^
These imply immunosuppression. Again: educate yourself on the natural history of HIV infection; so that you know at what stage of the disease these begin to appear.
^
Just betraying your ignorance. HIV actually masquerades like other illnesses. In historic times, it used to be syphilis (another STI) but in our time; it is now HIV infection. HIV infection affects all organ systems and so it is no surprise that it's presentation runs the gamut of all organ systems. Some of my patients first intimation of their infection was by the fact that they came down with a stroke.

Sir, i agree with everything you posted so far.

Good job.

I dont think Ileke knows what she is talking about ( no offense)

They said it came from west Africa,
The white man fuc[i]k[/i]ed a monkey when he went for an expedition there and ended up getting the disease. He then went back to America and bleeped a black gay man infected him and the gay man bleeped an African who in turn went to Africa to live there and get a wife and infected the wife, Their children got married and infected and that is how it came to be.

That is why they always say its more prominent in blacks and gays

Kobojunkie:

I am not a doctor but I think you have em there . . .

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-symptoms

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/hiv/signs_and_symptoms.html

Stop fooling yourself. The links you just copied are way beyond your understanding.

Aletheia has already covered the most important points.

Kobojunkie:

I am not a doctor but I think you have em there . . .

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-symptoms

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/hiv/signs_and_symptoms.html

I understand that HIV may show feverish-like signs, but it's not totally asymptomatic.

These ppl will be think the person that's coughing/with yeast infections  just has "too many agege bread", dem never know the person dey  suffer from possibly  from Herpes/ HIV.

Signs or no signs, tell this Naija men to phulz cover it up. Women have to suffer for their misdeeds (not sexist).  

fstranger3:

Stop fooling yourself. The links you just copied are way beyond your understanding.

Aletheia has already covered the most important points.

Gbenu e soun jor.

^^^

Sometimes, it is better to listen to words of wisdom.

Just Googling stuff over the internet wont help you.

How many HIV/AIDs patient do you know of?

fstranger3:

^^^

Sometimes, it is better to listen to words of wisdom.

Just Googling stuff over the internet wont help you.

How many HIV/AIDs patient do you know of?

None. Thankfully.

Although, you can live with someone and yet not know much about the person.

You and your "doctor" over there keep fumbling over misinformation.

Ileke-IdI:

Jumbling words together is not a significant prove that you're correct.
Congrats, the main reason why I suggest you not mistake the signs of HIV for other abnormal symptoms.

^
Your pathological need to have the last word causes you to continue wallowing in ignorance. Advice: when in a hole stop digging.
There are no signs specific to HIV. What we see are signs of immunosuppresion; which we can see in any immunosuppressive disorder, even diabetes if left untreated. There are some direct cytopathic effects of HIV, but this will not ordinarily manifest in the asymptomatic stage.
What tips off the clinician as to the possibility of HIV infection is a constellation of signs and symptoms.

Ileke-IdI:

You work with HIV/AIDs patient, then your failed attempt to pass HIV infection as totally asymptomatic is very disappointing.

^Again, you are really being foolish. I know more about HIV/AIDS and its accompanying opportunistic infections than you will ever know. HIV is asymptomatic during the latent phase of infection. Most people who contract the infection do so from HIV-infected individuals in the latent phase.  

Ileke-IdI:

A month or two of the  viral infection, those symptoms (I mentioned above) starts to show.  Of course, someone who is not intent on searching for facial HIV symptoms would not track it right away.

^Don't worry, I know what your problem is. Cognitive dissonance. You display the same characteristics as people I have counseled who are in denial because they practice unsafe sex. Keep diagnosing HIV-infection by "searching for facial HIV symptoms".

From Wikipedia:

Infection with HIV-1 is associated with a progressive decrease of the CD4+ T cell count and an increase in viral load, the level of HIV in the blood. The stage of infection can be determined by measuring the patient's CD4+ T cell count and viral load.

The stages of HIV infection are acute infection (also known as primary infection), latency and AIDS. Acute infection lasts for several weeks and may include symptoms such as fever, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), pharyngitis (sore throat), rash, myalgia (muscle pain), malaise, and mouth and esophageal sores. The latency stage involves few or [size=18pt]no symptoms[/size] and can last anywhere from two weeks to twenty years or more, depending on the individual. AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection, is defined by low CD4+ T cell counts (fewer than 200 per microliter), various opportunistic infections, cancers and other conditions.

^In Nigeria, the few symptoms that may manifest in the latent phase are often episodic fevers which would be diagnosed as Malaria or Typhoid fever; giving no indication whatsoever of the underlying cause unless the individual does an HIV test. and who in Nigeria has not had an occasion episode of malaria?

Ileke-IdI:

The signs of AIDs is more expressive and  lethal than HIV, but similar in more ways.

^You forgot to add that AIDS is caused by HIV and is the terminal manifestation of HIV-infection.

^^^
She cant understand the graph. Stop wasting your time.

Kobojunkie:

I am not a doctor but I think you have em there . . .

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-symptoms

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/hiv/signs_and_symptoms.html

^Both you and Ileke-Idi are just pasting links. Why don't read them?
The very first sentence from your WebMd link is:

[size=18pt]Many people do not develop symptoms after getting infected with HIV. [/size]

Both of you are being plain silly.

fstranger3:

^^^
She cant understand the graph. Stop wasting your time.

^Some people may believe what they are saying. So we need to counter their misconceptions because of those ones even if these two are irredeemable.