"The Federal capital Territory (FCT) is presently adjudged as the most prevalent in cases of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria," the FCT said in the press statement, a copy of which was faxed to AFP office here.

FCT authorities are aware of the "ravaging incidences of HIV/AIDS" in the area and have set up an action committee to fight the deadly disease, it said, but it did not provide any statistics to support the claim.

Nigeria said last week that it has begun local production of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, a growing menace in Africa's most populous country.

Official figures say 5.4 percent of Nigeria's massive population of some 126 million people are infected with HIV, and there are concerns that the rate is rising rapidly.

The west African country launched the first trial of cheap, generic AIDS drugs imported from India to fight the epidemic in December 2001. Last week Thursday it introduced locally manufactured AIDS drugs into the Nigerian market.

Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo said the launch of AVOLAM (Lamivudine), Azido (Zidovudine) and NEVRAN (Nevirapine) by Ranbaxy Nigeria Limited will help prolong the lives of Nigeriana afflicted with the deadly virus.

He said the government will continue to provide treatment, care and support to people living with the disease, adding that it hopes to achieve more than 80 percent local production of generic drug needs within the next three years.

TERRA.WIRE