From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
As plans gears up to mark the 2023 World AIDS Day, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, (AHF) Nigeria warned the world that the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over yet.
The Country Program Director, (CPD) AHF Nigeria, Dr. Echey Ijezie, who gave the caution in a statement signed by the foundation’s Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, and made available to our correspondent on Wednesday said AHF has organized series of event to commemorate the day.
Ijezie said AHF Nigeria’s World AIDS Day event includes community testing campaigns across its seven program states of Benue, Abuja, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Kogi, Nasarawa and Cross River.
He disclosed that AHF is implementing a special testing campaign in the FCT in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) adding that across the states, AHF Nigeria shall also be distributing free condoms with about 75, 000 free condoms slated for distribution.
He said AHF Nigeria has also organized a commemorative walk which will take off from the Berger roundabout under the bridge to terminate at the AHF Nigeria Country office at Jabi, Abuja.
According to him, the walk planned to commence by 8:30 AM, December 1, 2023, will be flagged off by the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on AIDS, TB, and Malaria, Hon. Godwin-Amobi Ogah, with other Committee members, while partner CSOs, CBOs and youth groups will also be on hand for the walk.
“With the commemoration, advocates will honor all who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses, support those who carry on the fight, and unite people globally in battling HIV/AIDS and reinforce the need to prioritize community effort and action from now on, as reflected in the global theme, “Let Community Lead”.
He noted that while the world has made significant progress over past decades, the global HIV/AIDS response faces serious threats, including insufficient funding, dangerously high rates of 1.3 million new HIV transmissions annually, an estimated 630,000 deaths each year, and responses not being prioritized highly enough, particularly in lower-income countries.
“AHF Nigeria is actively and happily playing a supporting role to support the effort of the Nigeria government through NACA and the Federal Ministry of Health to end AIDS by 2030.
“This can be seen in our deliberate interventions across our state where we are prioritizing projects that advances gender equality and that builds the leadership potentials at grassroots level so that in the real sense, we are empowering communities to lead.” said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD)
He also disclosed that in three of AHF Nigeria states, Community Advocacy Clubs have been instituted and by the end of the first quarter of 2024, these clubs will be functioning across all the seven program states.
He said they are investing heavily in community education through radio to empower rural dwellers on the knowledge and information needed to prevent new infection and guarantee their welfare.
Observed annually on December 1, World AIDS Day gives HIV/AIDS advocates an opportunity to bring awareness to the global response, fight the harmful stigma and discrimination that hinder people living with HIV from seeking testing and treatment services, and urge governments worldwide to ensure the resources and political will are available to fight HIV/AIDS.