This is obviously good news. The excerpts below provide more details but presumably the huge number of people accessing HIV-AIDS treatment and general awareness of the disease have helped in cutting down the rates of infection. In Nigeria the prevalence rate has fallen by a whopping 35% whilst in Ghana it has halved.

Via Mat – the forum (for the details)

 

Nigeria: Dr Umaru Shehu (Chairman Nigeria National Agency for the Control of HIV)

Excerpt:

The prevalence rate of new HIV/AIDS infections in Nigeria has reduced by 35 percent, according to the chairman of the Nigeria National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA).

Dr Umaru Shehu, who during a courtesy visit to the Secretary to the government of the federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim said that the rate of infection among Nigerians has dropped significantly thanks to a combination of factors which underlined changing attitude from the populace.

Dr. Shehu also highlighted the achievements of the NACA in its drive to control and eventually eradicate the disease from Nigeria.

“NACA board has been able to effectively guide its operation to become a robust agency of government since the bill establishing the agency was passed by the National Assembly in 2007, ” he said.

This, he said, was demonstrated in the achievements of the agency which had been able to harness the National Multi-sectoral Funds for HIV/AIDS with considerable success.

“ We hope that through you, we would continue to brief the president and update him on activities of the NACA and our achievement in HIV/AIDS control

Ghana: John Dramani Mahama, vice president of the Republic of Ghana,

Excerpt:

Mahama says the nation is trying to achieve a zero mother-to-child transmission rate and to combat the stigma associated with those having HIV/AIDS. To better educate locals about the disease, he says, the government is collaborating with community-based organizations. “People were afraid to eat from the same plate with an HIV-positive person or sharing things. Now that they know it’s not a death sentence, even when you’re HIV-positive, I think people are coming around.”