Ebonyi State has vowed to increase their commitment to fight HIV and AIDS infection in the state.
This commitment was made after the week-long sensitization and awareness campaign and distribution of drugs and other preventative equipment such as condoms to people across the state to mark the 2024 World AIDS Day by the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EBOSACA).
Representing the Acting Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nwali Okata James, spoke in his speech and said….
“We are calling on people to come out and get tested so that if they test positive, we’ll let them know that it’s not a death sentence, that if they take their drugs appropriately, they will live a normal life.
Prince Iteshi Andrew Chibueze the secetarty of the agency who also spoke at the event said…..“We have an agreement with the Association of Local Government in Nigeria (ALGON) to carry out more sensitization across the local government areas. We have also engaged with the traditional rulers, who have also promised to reach out to the people in the hinterlands for more awareness.”
Dr. Onyekachi Chukwuma, the program and Technical Lead of the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECHEWS), expressed confidence that the aim of the sensitization campaign, which is to eradicate HIV and AIDS by 2030, would be determined by ensuring that human beings are given adequate information to take the right path in health.
Also reacting, Igwe Precious Nneka, the executive director of Equitable Health for Women and the Empowerment Initiative, noted that the exercise was successful, and infected persons were counseled and linked to care and ensured that the proper medication was made available to them.
Some of the partners who actively participated in the exercise included members of the Institute of Virology Nigeria, and Amanda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT). They urged the people to be conscious of their status and adhere to various information shared during the sensitization campaign.
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