Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Hassan Mohammed Lawal, has urged Nigerians to refrain, abstain and be self-discipline if the battle against HIV/AIDS would be won completely in the country.

The Minister who made the plea during the ministerial briefing on 2008 World AIDS Day in Abuja, also urged all states governments, Local Government Areas (LGAs) and stakeholders in health sector to provide hope for all persons living with HIV/AIDS.

On the prevalence rate, he said that the preliminary findings from the 2008 HIV/ sentinel sero-prevalence survey showed that Benue states is still leading in the number of persons affected across the country with 10.6 per cent while Buwari in FCT, recorded the highest prevalence of 22.0 per cent in the rural areas across the federation.

"The preliminary finding from 2008 HIV Sentinel sero-prevalence survey showed a national prevalence of 4.6 per cent. The prevalence ranged from 1.0 per cent in Ekiti state to 10.6 per cent in Benue state. 17 states and FCT had prevalence of 5.0 per cent and above.

"The prevalence was generally higher in urban than rural areas except in nine states and FCT where the reverse was the case. In terms of sites, Bwari in FCT recorded the highest prevalence of 22.0 per cent in the country and for sites Igbara Odo –Ekiti), (Ganawuri-plateau, (Taura-Jigawa) and Tudun Wada-Kano state) recorded the least (0.0 per cent.)

"The HIV prevalence among the Antenatal Clinic in Nigeria (ANC) client has declined from 5.8 per cent in 2001 through five per cent in 2003 to 4.4 per cent in 2005. However, between 2005 and 2008, the prevalence has slightly increased from 4.4 per cent to 4.6 per cent", he explained.

He noted that Federal Government has provided access to prevention of Mother to Child Transmission in 254 sites across the country, adding that the number of pregnant women counselled and tested in these sites was currently in excess of 550,000 while 16,197 of these have received ARV prophylaxis for PMYCT.

He, however, said that the aim of the survey was to provide information about the current HIV prevalence and distribution in Nigeria, with the aim of sensitising all shareholders to taking appropriate action.

Also in his remark, the managing director of Society for Family Health, Bright Ekweremadu, said that since all health workers could not be subjected into abstaining from sex, another alternative is the use of condom.

"No matter how we want to look at it, we cannot rule condom completely out. This is because it is very difficult to enforce self-discipline on everybody".

"Abstinence and mutual fidelity is okay, but we should not forget that some people find it difficult to do that. So we still recommend the use of condom," he stated.