Boko Haram: 5,000 IDPs infected with HIV/AIDS, mostly women

No fewer than 5, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially Boko Haram victims, in 27 camps in embattled Borno state in northeast Nigeria are currently living with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Hassan Mustapha, the Coordinator on HIV/AIDS in Borno, said on Thursday that most of the patients were women who were rescued from captivity in Boko Haram camps.

The coordinator, however, said that some of those affected were not effectively accessing anti-retroviral therapy because of stigmatisation.

He lamented that many of them had died of the scourge because they were not properly counselled and sensitised on the need to enrol under the HIV/AIDS control programme.

“We have more than 1, 000 patients in Bama camp and 3, 000 in Gwoza camp while over 1, 000 others are taking refuge in the host communities.

“We have heard of many supporting NGOs in Borno but none of them has approached us to offer assistance to the IDPs living with the virus.

“The IDPs living with such ailment are constantly challenged; they do not go out to access drugs.

“Most of them are shy while some are afraid to be identified by others as carriers.

“They sometimes complain to us that they are not allowed to go out of the camp to access drugs in other centres.

“The honest truth is that government is not paying priority attention to the plight of such persons,” said Mustapha

Meanwhile, a movie production company has concluded plans to feature Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in its forthcoming Television Reality Show.

Mr Emmanuel Eyaba, the Executive Producer of Virtues and Noble Touch Nigeria (VNT), who visited some IDPs camps in Abuja on Wednesday for audition, said that the aim was to give them a new identity.

The audition was done in collaboration with the African Union (AU).

The talent programme tagged; “Unleash Your Creativity’’ also known as “UUC Nigeria’’, is aimed at creating a platform for young adults interested in the movie industry to showcase their abilities.

The zonal auditions had been successfully held in Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Lagos.

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