The Jigawa State Government has earmarked over N50 million for the purchase of kits for compulsory HIV tests before marriage.
Programme Manager, Jigawa State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Malam Ibrahim Almajiri, disclosed this while defending the agencies’ budget proposals before the House of Assembly Committee on Public Service.
He said the amount will be used for the supply of HIV/AIDs testing kits for the compulsory test of intending couples across the state.
It would be recalled that the Jigawa State House of Assembly had in 2016 signed into law making it compulsory for all intending couples to undergo test for HIV/AIDs three times before marriage is contracted.
The Law had helped Jigawa State in reducing the prevalence of HIV/AID from 1.9% in 2014 to 0.30% in 2018.
The 2018 SMART Survey placed Jigawa State as a top state where the rate of HIV/AIDs is low with only 0.30% in the country.
Almajri, however, called on the committee to facilitate the allocation of additional funds to strengthen the test before marriage law in the state to maintain the successes so far recorded in the control of HIV/AIDS.
Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Public Service, Alhaji Aminu Zakari, assured to work with House Committee on Appropriation for the provision of more funds to the agency for carrying out its responsibilities in 2022.
