This Aids Things: Nigerian Varsities Are a Den

[Waziri]

Daily Independent Online. * Friday, November 21, 2003.
Majority of new Benue varsity students test HIV positive

By Tom Chiahemen

Senior Correspondent, Abuja


Participants at a talk shop were thrown into a state of shock when it was announced that

ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL INTAKE OF DIRECT ENTRY STUDENTS OF BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MARKUDI, TESTED HIV POSITIVE DURING A PRE-REGISTRATION MEDICAL TEST.

The startling news came last week during a brainstorming session organised by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Abuja.

According to DFID's Chris Pycrott, who made the disclosure, studies also showed that since 1986, there has been almost 850,000 AIDS related deaths, with over 3.5 million Nigerians living with the HIV virus.

Speaking on the topic Drivers of Change in Nigeria, Pycrott noted that adult HIV prevalence rate had increased from 1.8 per cent in 1991 to 5.8 per cent in 2001. He added that current projections suggested that under low and high scenarios, the HIV/AIDS epidemic would peak at about seven per cent prevalence in 2007 (low) or 9.5 per cent prevalence in 2012 (high) and then decline.

Daily Independent could not obtain the official figure of the total number of students enrolled for the current session, but the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Yakubu Ochef, who was in attendance at the DFID interactive forum, did not dispute the claims of Pycrott. He indeed confirmed that the university's clinic had carried out medical tests "on every student admitted" before registration.

According to him, it was possible that the results showed that the new students tested HIV positive but that such results might not have been disclosed to the affected students.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. David Ker, could not be reached on telephone for comments on the development, just as officials of the university clinic would not discuss the matter.

[Muhammad]

Salam
Waziri is'nt simple to determine what causes this shameful situation?
I mean the young chaps there are enjoying their lives you know yan tivi. And also, the level of poverty amongst the female population is high hence their resorting to prostitution which of course aids the AIDS pandemic.
The situation might be same in other Universities mind you. As of now, only the folks at Benue varsity do this type of screening.
I think it should be a must for all Uni's
Allah ya sawwake
Ameen

[Maqari]

This is off the radar, i would like to view more theories on the cause though, Peace

[ummita]

The situation might be same in other Universities mind you. As of now, only the folks at Benue varsity do this type of screening.
I think it should be a must for all Uni's
Allah ya sawwake
Ameen

@ Ameen, not only uni students......most ppl....students, workers, employed or non employed (in short humanbeings) :-/....everyone shud b clinically tested. I hav met 2 bride 2 be's but who wnt hav their NIKAH till their grooms hav both taken undergone a HIV test, not that their husbands where sleep'arounders,no, but they said its security 2 a healthy livin & dat HIV is caught in sooooooooo many ways which I definately agree........So not just university students......I think it will b quite reasonable 4 couples who r about 2 jump d broom 2 get tested..........Why because? Couple of yrs bck.....a man married & d amarya was technically, HIV positive.....she passed it on & he passed it on 2 d first wife....dey died within a yr or was it months interval ?  :-/(cnt really remember)......
Also South Africa hav d highest rate of HIV positive victims

Another problem, is d undisclosure, Waz y wnt d victims b informed dey will b left in a state of ignorance & hencefoth continue endangerin lifes of odas...........
X-cuzeeee meehhhh dat Vee Chan (David Ker) Dey r also playin a part......acceleration lives of ppl.....since they know but negligently refuse 2 higlight d victims or speak up......puhleeeeeez dey owe their students duty of care