HIV/Aids: ICHSSA 2 Project Conducts Outreach, Identifies Prevalent Local Govt in Kwara
Stakeholders of Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award ICHSSA 2 project, on carrying out HIV/Aids tests to know statuses, recently conducted outreach to communities in Asa local government of Kwara state.
The result was the discovery of prevalences in some of the communities in Asa local government, hence holding a Technical Steering Committee to bring solution of quick intervention and nipping the spread to the bud as a matter of urgency.
At the Outreach, the Association of Reproductive Family Health ARFH Kwara state Program Coordinator, Mrs Ada Onuorah based on the reports, asserted that Asa local government has the highest number of people living with HIV/Aids in the state, and called out to the local government to become proactive about this recent discovery.
Speaking further, that resources will be needed to support the victim as well as control the spread, she urged the local government health department to have a budget line for most of the victims who are older vulnerable children, OVC.
Reiterating that the objectives of ICHSSA 2 Project is aimed at enhancing accelerated access to basic services such as education, quality health, training on financial sustainability and ensuring that the people in the local government are tested, she added that to prevent the spread of HIV, she added that it is important for residents of Asa local government communities to know their status, and those reactive, to access the needed drugs.
The Local Action Committee Against Aids, LACA Manager for Asa local government, Mr Isola Fatai, stated that with this discovery, the council will set up the necessary templates to stop the spread, protect it’s residents and start orientation programs against HIV/Aids.
He called on the public to start safety measures that will prevent contacting, and to avoid discriminating or stigmatizing and any patients who has the virus.
He added that the information was gotten from the government hospital, where tests were conducted, hence the ICHSSA project following up on the report which led to more discovery.
The LACA Manager emphasized that Asa local government has the highest prevalence of HIV and encouraged the LGA to see to counselling and actively involved in HIV testing service across all the wards in the local government and place those reactive on drugs to achieve a virally suppressed communities and minimize the spread of HIV in the community.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Hope for Family Development Initiatives, HFDI Ambassador Dr Aremu Stephen Akinyele stated that the target patients has since been registered and placed on retroviral drugs, while other assistant has been scheduled for their survival.
He added that community case managers has been assigned to follow up and monitor the treatment process, as well as the responses of the local government community residents to HIV/Aids safety guidelines.
The HFDI ED who maintained that health is wealth, also assured the team of using his organizations resources to achieve the ultimate aim of Viral suppression in the target local government.