ONDO EXTENDS HIV COUNSELLING AND TESTING TO MORE LGAs

ONDO EXTENDS HCT TO MORE LGAs

In continuation of the drive to zero HIV new infection, AIDS related deaths, discrimination and stigmatization of people living with HIV, the Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ODSACA) has flagged off mobile HIV counseling      and testing to all wards, camps and settlements in Ifedore local government area of the state, just as it began training of community volunteers to assist in providing mobile HIV counseling and testing in Ondo West and Ese Odo local governments.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary to the State Government and Chairman, Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ODSACA), Dr. Aderotimi Adelola, represented by the Project Manager, Dr. ‘Dayo Adegbulu, said there is need for collective efforts to minimize the spread of the virus, stressing that HIV counseling and testing is the entry point to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; and as such the people must cooperate with the government towards preventing HIV because everyone is either infected or affected by the virus.

He said the State Agency for the Control of AIDS has extended HIV/AIDS education to secondary schools by teaching relevant publics abstinence and negotiation skills in order to ensure zero tolerance for the virus in Ondo State, adding that the people must continually embrace the prevention intervention techniques and know their status.

Addressing the volunteers in Ondo West and Ese Odo local governments, the Secretary to the State Government, stated that it is a punishable offence for an health worker to disclose the confidentiality of the person being tested to a third party, and therefore called on them to uphold the ethics of the profession. He maintained that the government through the support of World Bank has therefore empowered the Local Action Committee on AIDS (LACA) at various local governments to assist in the campaign against the virus.

Adelola maintained that extending the campaign to the local governments will ensure everyone regardless of status, religion; ethnicity or political inclinations know their status.

Flagging off the programme in Ifedore local government, the Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Pius Adebusuyi, noted that HIV/AIDS is a major challenge confronting the world today, hence there is need for aggressive campaign by the government and other partners.

He said in 2014, about 1,503 persons in the local government accessed mobile HCT services and 6 persons tested positive, thus the need for the people to cooperate with the community volunteers and undergo HIV counseling and testing in order to wipe off the virus from the rural area.

Reacting, the LACA Manager, Ifedore local government, Mrs. Olabisi Adewole, urged the Community Volunteers to own and sustain the programme by providing HIV services to the rural dwellers where they live, work and play. She appealed to every individual to take an HIV test which is the entry point for HIV prevention and treatment.

Likewise, the LACA Manager, Ondo West local government, Mrs Rosemary Ayodele and LACA Manager, Ese Odo local government, Mr. Israel Emokemlghan, noted that the mobile HIV counseling and testing is an avenue of increasing the awareness about HIV to the people at the grassroots, noting that this will decrease HIV new infection among the people, increase treatment of those infected and ensure that everything is done to re-alert the people about HIV.

The LACA Managers maintained that adequate counseling and early detection is a panacea to AIDS related death, in order to sustain the society and promote healthy living among the people, particularly the rural dwellers.

Others who spoke at the event, the Primary Health Care Coordinator, Ese Odo local government, Dr.Cornelius Olukoju, noted that the training of the community volunteers will bring new HIV infection to zero, make the people better inform about the virus and therefore called on the volunteers to become stakeholders to assist in reversing the spread of the disease. He said the volunteers have been equipped to combat the spread across the 10 wards in the local government, access treatment to referral centres and get integrated service.

Ayokunle Ikusemiju,

Press Officer,

Office of the SSG