By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
A group of health reporters on the aegis of Akwa Ibom HIV Media Advocacy Platform has rekindled a call on the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to sign into law, the HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigmatizating and Discrimination Bill currently awaiting his assent.
The call became necessary following worries expressed by members of the Association of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria (ASWHAN) which bothered on prevalence of new infections in the state.
They spoke during a four-day training workshop on the Domestication of the National HIV Self Testing (HIVST) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) communication strategy organised by Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS (AKSACA) in collaboration with the HIV Media Advocacy Platform which ended in Uyo on Friday.
Statistics of the mode of HIV AIDS transmissions (MoT) have shown that stigmatisation and discrimination; poor health seeking behavior; poverty/unemployment; denial fueled by religious and belief systems and gender-related among others, are major drivers of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
ASWHAN cried that the HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigmatization and Discrimination Bill which was passed by the State House of Assembly last year, but has remained unassented into law by Governor Emmanuel, has brought negative impact on HIV/AIDS response in the state.
According to ASWHAN State Coordinator, Mrs. Rachael Ignatius, the “Bill if signed into law and implemented, will address the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state and ensure a healthy future”.
Presenting an overview of HIV/AIDS situation in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Nnamnso-owo Thomas, who represented National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), South South Zonal Coordinator, said that Akwa Ibom according to 2018 NAIIS reports, remained “top on HIV AIDS prevalence in the country with 5.5 per cent representing 178,051 of 5,451,600 population.”
Thomas explained, “the estimated HIV new infections in Akwa Ibom state by 2019 as contained in NAIIS sourced from Akwa Ibom State HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025 is 13,000.
“MoT study 2020 revealed that Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Benue, Anambra, Imo and Lagos states accounted more of Nigeria’s new HIV infection”, Thomas added.
The Project Manager, Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS (AKSACA), Dr Igbemi Igbemi while declaring the workshop opened, also expressed optimism that the Anti-Stigmatisation and Discrimination Bill if assented to would go a long way to reduce stigmatisation and its associated challenges in the HIV space.
He however, said that the HIV Self Testing (HIVST) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) are innovations tailored at achieving more prevention in the fight against the epidemic.
Earlier, the chairperson of Akwa Ibom HIV Media Advocacy Platform blamed Hiv situation on behavioural causes that called for aggressive awareness from the media.
She lauded AKSACA and other implementing partners for facilitating the workshop, stressing that the knowledge gained would assist journalists in sensitising the public on the prevention against HIV towards ensuring zero infection in 2023.
Our correspondent in Uyo, observed that the workshop was designed to build the capacity of media practitioners on the implementation of HIVST and PrEP community strategy and empower them for proficient HIV reporting and advocacy to improve outcomes in Akwa Ibom response.
