Connect with us

National News

U.S. Delegation Visits Taraba State to Announce New PEPFAR Assistance

Published

on

U.S. Delegation Visits Taraba State to Announce New PEPFAR Assistance

U.S. Delegation Visits Taraba State to Announce New PEPFAR Assistance

A U.S. government delegation led by Chargé d’Affaires Kathleen FitzGibbon visited Jalingo in Taraba State as it prepares to re-engage the state with U.S. assistance through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The inter-agency team included the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Mission Director Katie Donohoe, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Country Director Dr. Mary Boyd, U.S. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) Country Director Dr. Laura Chittenden, and PEPFAR Coordinator Mark Giambrone.  The Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) was part of the joint delegation.

The joint team met Governor Darius Ishaku to initiate the new partnership under the governor’s leadership and the strong support of the State Commissioner of Health Dr. Innocent Vakkai.

The team asked the governor to build on his impressive commitment to the health care system, including prioritizing recruitment of healthcare workers to help sustain the expanded HIV program and other critical public health services. An increased budget allocation and releases of funds for health will ensure that the drive to enroll additional patients on treatment succeeds. 

Also Read: Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development Debunks…

“We look forward to working with Taraba to adopt best practices in client-centered care and improving local capacity to implement high quality services”, CDA FitzGibbon said. “With the state’s commitment to reducing barriers to care, Taraba is well-positioned to achieve HIV epidemic control.”

The team announced the United States will re-initiate HIV/AIDS programming in Taraba on October 1, 2021.  Ranking among the top eight states in Nigeria in terms of HIV burden, Taraba plays a “critical role” in the country’s goal of being free from AIDS by 2023, she said.

The U.S. delegation and NACA briefed stakeholders on the key objectives of the partnership.  Taraba State and USAID, through the Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control (RISE) activity implemented by Jhpiego, presented findings from a joint assessment and priorities for collective action.

The delegation visited the Federal Medical Center in Jalingo, a 320-bed facility that serves as a referral center and offers medical services including those for HIV and tuberculosis (TB).  More than 3,000 HIV-positive patients currently receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy in the Center.

Finally, Deputy Governor Haruna Manu facilitated a tour of the Taraba State Specialist Hospital to observe ongoing USAID work to support identification and treatment of people living with TB, as well as a state-of-the-art laboratory commissioned last year to diagnose COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

“We look forward to celebrating our collective success when we achieve HIV epidemic control in the State in the coming months and years,” FitzGibbon said.

PEPFAR supports HIV treatment for over 1.5 million Nigerians and is working with state and federal government agencies to build health systems to achieve and sustain control of HIV and AIDS in the country.

U.S. Delegation Visits Taraba State to Announce New PEPFAR Assistance

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National News

President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

Published

on

President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

By: Bodunrin Kayode

President Bola Tinubu will today visit the Plateau state capital Jos to commiserate with residents who lost loved ones during the Palm Sunday shooting spree by criminals that took place at Angwa rukuba area of the city.

The President who was scheduled to visit Ogun state postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, meant to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport.

From the Plateau, the President is expected to travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday public holiday which ushers the beginning of the Easter public holiday which rounds up the lent period.

A state house release signed yesterday by the Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga noted that President Tinubu will travel to Ogun State for the commissioning of the Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircrafts for the export and import of goods, aimed at boosting the state’s economic growth on Saturday April 4th.

“He will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles.

“He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is also expected to commission infrastructural projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“These projects include: the iconic Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge; the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building; the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school Complex.

“Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission some of Governor Duoye Diri’s completed projects.” Said the release.

Sadly several residents lost their lives during the black Palm Sunday shooting spree which is suspected to have been carried out by auto bike riding bandits following after their patterns in the hinterlands of the state.

These bandits who had tormented, killed and destroyed homes of residences of the Jos north axis of the state for several years after September 7th 2001

This damnation let loose on innocent residents is resurfacing after hundreds of killings had occurred in the Jos North council area of the state from September 7th 2001 till date.

And because of the myriad of challenges creeping into the federal security system sub regionals have geared up to manage their on police and Intel services which would assist greatly because they are masters of their territories.

The Federal government is fast tracking the process of state police to ensure that each sub nationals take charge of their environment to ensure that they support the center in the maintenance of internal security.

President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

Continue Reading

National News

NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

Published

on

NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said that in 2026, the length of the rainy season in Gombe State is expected to be between 107 and 138 days.

This is contained in the Agency’s 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document, which Gayus Musa, the meteorological manager for Gombe State, made available to Our Correspondent in Gombe on Tuesday.

The total amount of rainfall across Gombe State in 2026 is predicted to be between 701 mm in the northern part of the state (Nafada) and 1089 mm in the South (Shongom).

The onset of the rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 29 (Shongom) and cease by October 22 (Yamaltu/Deba).

Similarly, in the prediction, four local government areas of the state, namely: Nafada, Yamaltu/Deba, Dukku and Funakaye were likely to be impacted by a severe dry spell (21 days and above) between June and August.

Musa while speaking to Our Correspondent on the first rainfall experienced in some communities in Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas of the state on Monday urged farmers to resist the temptation of early planting of crops.

He described the first rain as false onset, explaining that the rainfall was false because it would not support any germination as seeds planted with such rain would not survive.

“This (first rain) is a false onset because the precipitation cannot carry any germination and so any seed planted would not survive.

“So farmers should not engage themselves in planting but to prepare their farmlands while getting their seeds and other inputs ready,” he said.

Musa advised farmers in the state, to make use of the prediction in carrying out farming activities towards avoiding losses in view of the impact of climate change on agriculture.

He further urged relevant authorities in the state to take proactive measures towards tackling environmental issues associated with the rainy season.

NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

Continue Reading

National News

Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

Published

on

Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

By: Michael Mike

The rumoured interest of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar in becoming the governor of Bauchi State come 2027 may have been confirmed he resigned on Monday to prepared ground for actualization of his political ambition.

The resignation was ahead of the deadline set for political appointees seeking elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

In a resignation letter submitted to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Tuggar expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and contribute to the implementation of the administration’s Four-D foreign policy strategy.

The former minister also appreciated the management and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the diplomatic community for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.

During his time in office, Tuggar was credited with advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through initiatives focused on people-centred diplomacy. These included humanitarian evacuations, facilitation of scholarships for Nigerians abroad, and sustained support for citizens in the diaspora.

His tenure also witnessed increased diaspora engagement, including efforts to develop a structured database of Nigerians living abroad aimed at strengthening their participation in national development.

In addition, Tuggar strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations through strategic engagements with traditional partners and regional alliances, particularly across the Global South. His leadership also promoted regional security cooperation and supported the formation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy initiative.

He also prioritised economic diplomacy, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially in the energy sector, while facilitating diplomatic interventions that secured the release of detained Nigerians in foreign countries and improved bilateral relations.

The resignation letter was received on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by Dr. Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, ahead of the March thirty-first deadline directed by President Tinubu in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.

Tuggar’s resignation was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights