A US Government team has wrapped up a one-day visit in Jonglei State’s Akobo County to assess the preparedness of the border area in tackling HIV/Aids.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, an official with the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), Dr Robert Kelly, said the county appeared to be a hotspot for the pandemic and that their visit was to assess the possible response.
“We are here today (Wednesday) to assess whether or not Akobo should have some HIV/Aids risk program to help generate awareness,” he stated.
“Akobo seems to be a place where there is a risk and that there is a very low awareness. There has been no effort for prevention or awareness raising. I think we should be doing some program here and I will go back to try to figure out how we could do that.”
The County Health Director, Char Chot, said the prevalence of HIV/Aids was alarming amidst a lack of adequate consultation or treatment, and that intervention was needed.
“During the first and the second quarters of this year, we registered 17 patients. There is no HIV program in the county and the level of awareness is inadequate. There could be cases within the community and intervention is needed,” he said.
“The community of Akobo is happy with the visit. The heath situation is dire, and the visit by the US government is seen as a relief,” said Akobo resident Sam Koang.