61% of Nigerians Newly Infected with HIV/AIDS Are Women and Girls

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: 61 Percent of New HIV/Aids Infections Are Women-NACA: 

The National Agency For The Control of AIDS (NACA) has revealed that an estimated sixty one percent of Nigerians that are newly infected with HIV/AIDS are women and young girls.

The Director General of NACA, Professor Babatunde Oshotimehin who gave the information in Abuja at a One-day workshop organised by the agency to strengthen its relationship with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), said the country stands the risk of losing an important part of her population to the scourge of HIV if the situation is not quickly addressed.

He said, "We have to appreciate why it is important for women to be in the fore front of the battle against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Today, Africa houses seventy percent of HIV/AIDS infections, with sixty-one percent of new infections in Nigeria being women and young girls.