Uyo – U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard and a delegation from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) led by Mission Director Anne Patterson over the weekend visited Akwa Ibom as part of efforts to stem the tide of HIV cases in the state. The Ambassador met Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and other senior state officials, and toured hospital and HIV control facilities supported by USAID. Speaking after a meeting with the Akwa Ibom governor, Ambassador Leonard explained that they discussed the success of HIV control in Akwa Ibom State as a result of a “surge” in U.S. assistance through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the state abolishing user fees for treatments.