*"WORLD AIDS DAY; Cross River state is Resilient; we are attacking HIV/AIDS to a stand still! - Gov Ben Ayade*

Every Year, on 1st December, the World commemorates The World AIDS Day where stakeholders globally, unite to show support for People Living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. With this Year's theme being "Resilience and impact; ending HIV Pandemic" the Cross River State Governor Sen Prof Ben Ayade ably represented by His Deputy Governor Prof Ivara Esu has called on his citizens not to lose faith but to remain resilient and committed towards bringing HIV/AIDS to an end by 2030.

Speaking during the World AIDS Day event piloted by the Cross River State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) in collaboration with the State Ministry of health and other partners, Prof Esu, charged everyone to join the fight against HIV/AIDS by uniting together to end AIDS even in the midst of COVID-19. As a State, we have left no stone unturned in this fight; prevalence rate dropped from 6.6% to 2%. all hands must be on deck to ensure that we bring it down to zero percent. Every Year we keep making progress in this sector as even in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, We have set up one of the best HIV/AIDS response Situation Room, inaugurated State Management Team headed by me and Local Government HIV team known as Local AIDS and STIs Control Program (LASCP) team amidst other numerous outstanding achievements. “I flag off the World HIV AIDS ADVOCACY DAY”

The Honorable Commissioner for Health Dr Betta Edu said “On our part as a people, we must continue to be resilient in this fight and do our best to prevent the Mother to Child transmission of this virus while we ensure that we practice abstinence, avoid multiple sex partners, ensure regular HIV/AIDS testing at least once in 3months as well as regular access to drugs for those who are already positive, together we will overcome HIV/AIDS."

On her part, the Director General of the State Agency for the Control of Aids Dr Etcheri Ansa reiterated the tremendous support of the CRSG in the fight against HIV/AIDS while calling on cross riverians not to concentrate on COVID-19 and neglect HIV/AIDS as well as other deadly diseases.

"As we know, the whole World is today celebrating those living with HIV/AIDS as well as those who have lost their lives to this disease. With this Year's theme, it is of importance to note that the fight against HIV/AIDS is a collective one and as such we must all unite to end AIDS thereby contributing our individual quota. We're blessed as a State with the right leadership as the Government of Sen Prof Ben Ayade has paid so much attention to the health and welfare of cross riverians and in the part of HIV/AIDS, our major targets are; reducing our prevalence rate to zero percent as well as making HIV a thing of the past by 2030 even in the midst of our outstanding achievements."

Highlight of the event was the flagging off this Year's World Aids Day by the Deputy Governor Prof Ivara Ejemot Esu who led the Speaker of the CRS 9th Assembly Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones, the Honorable Commissioner for Health Dr Betta Edu, The House Committee Chairman on Health Hon. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, the DG of the CRSPHCDA Dr Janet Ekpenyong, DG SACA Dr Etcheri Ansa, Permanent Secretary CRSMOH Barr. Takon Asu, the Special Adviser on Health Dr David Ushie, other very important personnel and cross riverians on a walk from Rabanna Roundabout to Calabar Municipal Council were our partners (FHI 360, CCCRN, NACA zonal, ECEWS, Heartland Alliance, Unicef etc) Medical Women Association of Nigeria, NGOs, CSO and person living with HIV/AIDS also spoke.

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