the Guardian, 24 July 2014

THE International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has said the 2.6 million people living with HIV in Benue and Cross River States are to benefit from improved access to qualitative treatment.

To this end, the Red cross in collaboration with United Nation Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), called on stakeholders in the health sector and partners to join them in the implementation of an intensive Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) campaign to improve access to service for 2.6 million people in the two states.

IFRC regional representative in West Africa, Daniel Sayi, explained at a stakeholders meeting held in Abuja over the weekend that forming synergy with other interest groups would facilitate the demand for aggressive counselling for infected people and also create access for medical intervention.

At the meeting, 50 potential partners of this initiative, including non-governmental organizations, corporate bodies, and UN agencies, discussed with governments of Benue and Cross Rivers states to share ideas on how best to increase uptake of HIV counselling, testing and access to other HIV services

According to Sayi, "The goal of this project is to rapidly and equitably create demand for increased uptake of counselling and testing, and access to other HIV services, at the community level through trained community-based volunteers and community health extension workers. At least 50 per cent of targeted beneficiaries including women involved in transaction sex, adolescents, and pregnant women will receive HIV counselling and testing. Our intention is to bring prevention services as close to the community or household as possible".

Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Bello Hamman Diram, said the project has a multi-dimensional benefit to Nigeria in general, and Benue and Cross River states in particular.

His words, "One hundred existing community health extension workers (50 per state) will be trained on the creation of demand to increase uptake of HCT and other HIV services. A further 640 Red Cross supervisors and volunteers around health posts will also be trained to promote and support demand creation activities for increased uptake of HCT and other HIV services.

The Country Director UNAIDS Nigeria, Dr. Bilali Camara, said the partnership with the Red Cross would contribute to the President's Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria of having 80 million people know their HIV status by 2015.

His words, "The Red Cross is good at working with communities at the grassroots and I would like to encourage more partners to support their noble efforts," Dr. Camara said.

The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko said the major challenge facing the country is knowing the true picture of people living with HIV/AIDS. Idoko said a lot of people living with the disease do not see the need to know their status and most rural women prefers to give birth in traditional birth attendants places thereby denying them the HIV/AIDS test normally done on pregnant women in conventional hospitals. He said and estimated 3.5 million people are living with the disease according to official figures may not have the potentials of reliance for intervention.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated 170 million people. The estimated HIV prevalence among the general population is 3.6 per cent, with approximately 3.1 million people living with HIV in the country. In Benue and Cross River states, the HIV prevalence is above the national average.

Written by Itunu Ajayi, Abuja

Source: the Guardian