“1.9 Million Adults Become Infected With HIV Every Year” – Linda Ayade

Wife of the Cross River State governor, Linda Ayade, has disclosed that an estimated 1.9 million adults have become infected with HIV every year, in the past five years, worldwide, and that the number of new HIV infections is rising in some regions, www.calitown.com can reveal.

The CR first lady disclosed this information to a select number of journalists in her office today in the build up to celebrations marking the 2016 World AIDS Day, to be marked on Thursday, December 1, 2016 in Calabar.

Speaking through her Special Assistant, Rose Eneji, the First Lady added that, as a result of this situation, HIV prevention efforts must be reinvigorated if the world is to stay on the fast track to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. On the “Hands Up for HIV Prevention” theme for this year, she averred that, the theme “…is a response to the report that the decline in new HIV infections among adults has stalled…we are raising our hands in support of more condoms, inclusion, social protection, sexual education, testing, faithfulness and abstinence”, she added.

As part of activities for the day, a HIV/AIDS walk will hold on December 1, 2016, beginning at the Millennium Park by 7am and terminating at the Calabar Municipal Council where state governor, Ben Ayade, will declare the Christmas Village open. Members of the public have been invited to be a part of the walk. The 2016 World AIDS Day Walk is sponsored by building materials giant, Lafarge Africa Plc, who also disclosed at the press parley that health and safety remain a top priority among their values as a company.