The Kaduna State Government has earmarked N6.8 million for the procurement of HIV diagnostic kits and consumables in 2022.
This is contained in the budget of N278.6 billion signed by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Dec. 22 and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The document showed that out of the N20.3 million allocated to the State AIDS Control Agency (KADSACA) for capital expenditure, N3.0 million was for the procurement of HIV diagnostic kits and N3.8 million of HIV consumables.
Similarly, the government planned to spend N3.8 million on condoms, N3.3 million on hepatitis B test strips, and N2.6 million on methadone.
Also, N828,000 was allocated for venereal disease research laboratory test, N842,400 for single use syringe and N308,700 for procurement of antibiotics for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
The government equally earmarked N385,480 for behavioural change communication for targeted populations.
A total of N798,660 would be spent on the scale up of Adolescent and Youth Population intervention in nine Local Government Areas of the state to significantly reduce the incidence of new HIV infections.
The government further allocated N487,800 to set up offices for Network of People Living with HIV in Nigeria in the three Senatorial Zones for HIV, Hepatitis and STI counselling and testing services.
NAN reports that a total of N100.6 million was allocated to KADSACA, representing 0.04 per cent of the total budget size of N278.6 billion.
Of the N100.6 million, N20.3 million was for capital expenditure and N80.3 million for recurrent expenditure.
The N20.3 million allocated for capital expenditure was lower than the N51.2 million allocated to the agency in 2021. (NAN)
