The Enugu State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ENSACA) has disclosed that people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the state have reduced from 5.1 per cent to 4.9 per cent.

The Executive Secretary of ENSACA, Dr Uche Agu, revealed to newsmen on Friday that “as at 2010, the prevalence rate was 5.1 per cent but today, it has come down to 4.9 per cent from the study carried out recently.’’

He noted that the state had recorded significant progress in reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence; adding that one of the challenges facing the agency now was lack of fund and drugs.

Agu also stated that another challenge facing the agency is that some of the agency’s foreign project partners had started closing shops.

He said that the foreign partners had already handed over their project sites to the state government to continue; and it had taken up the challenge.

Agu said that the state government had also increased the budgetary allocation for the HIV-project in the state in 2017.

He urged those living with the virus to always visit the designated hospital to access the anti-retroviral drugs and also advised would be-couples to get tested as to know their health and HIV statuses in order to avoid contracting the disease.