Mr Mathew Awoyiola, the Coordinator, Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, has made a case for adequate testing and counselling of residents in the area.

Awoyiola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran on Friday that this would help reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence in the area.

He said this would also reduce the spread of the pandemic, especially among youths and pregnant women.

woyiola said the recent high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in remote villages and communities was a source concern to the committee.

He said the desire to tackle the menace head on necessitated the recent workshop organised by the committee for health workers to sensitise people on the essence of HIV/AIDS testing and counselling.

Awoyiola said the testing and counseling initiative was targeted at preventing new HIV/AIDS cases through Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) in pregnant women attending antenatal care.

The move, he added, would help to achieve zero tolerance in HIV/AIDS infection.

He said that MTCT accounted for 10 per cent of HIV/AIDS infections in Nigeria.

The coordinator, however, said that with the introduction of core MTCT intervention in developed countries, the rates had fallen to as low as two per cent.

"The entry-point for prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission services is through HIV testing of pregnant women attending antenatal care.

In all settings, HIV testing and counseling should be offered to all pregnant women seeking these services while service providers should also moblise them to go for testing," Awoyiola said.

He listed the benefits of testing and counselling to include reinforcement of safe sex practices and empowering of HIV- negative pregnant women. (NAN)