Mohammed Ibrahim:
Residents of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria have lauded the UNICEF’S Testing and Counselling project on HIV and AIDS in the area.
The residents said prior to the project majority of their adolescents lacked knowledge on HIV and AIDS.
The village Head of Angwan Sarki under Magajin Gari in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, Aliyu Shehu Aliyu told youths in the community to go for HIV test to know their status adding that it was very important for youths from the age of 18 to know their status so as to remain safe.
The village Head gave the advice at Adolescents and Young People (AYP) / Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) Testing and Counselling, organized by UNICEF Kaduna office, at a Town Hall meeting in Birnin Gwari, headquarters of the Local Government.
The Adolescents & Young People (AYP) intervention programme is one of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported programs aimed at scaling up HIV combination in terms of prevention, treatment and care services for adolescents and young people, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in Kaduna Rural communities.
The program is operational in seven Local Governments Areas of Chikun, Igabi, Lere, Kagarko, Birnin-Gwari, Jaba & Jema’a.
It seeks to among others increase the number of adolescents and young persons (10-24) years who know their HIV status from 10% to 40% in the 7 LGA’s by December 2018, increase the proportion of sexually active adolescents (15-19) years using condoms from 30% to 50% in the 7 LGA’s by December 2018.
To Increase the percentage of HIV positive adolescents (10-24) years initiated on Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) from 1% to 21% in the LGA’s by December 2018 and to also increase the number of primary/secondary schools providing Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) from 25% to 45% in 7 LGAs by December 2018.
UNICEF has been working in collaboration with the Kaduna State AIDS Control Agency (KADSACA), and other partners to reduce and even eliminate HIV to its barest minimum in this LGAs.
The village Head explained that youths from the community were now enlightened on ways to avoid and prevent themselves from HIV /AIDS than they were in previous years.
“I’m happy that the programme was brought to train and educate our youth in Birnin Gwari community because we have Adolescents that needed to know more about the disease. My appeal to youths is to educate other youths that know nothing about HIV on how to prevent themselves.
The village Head also said there are about 60 Adolescents that were trained as AYP Ambassadors that are equally expected to transfer the knowledge acquired to their peers from neighbouring communities.
An AYP participant, 24 year old Isa iliyasu who also said the training changed his knowledge of HIV commended the organisers of the sensitization.
“Now I know my status which made me happy. I think it’s important for Adolescents to know their HIV status. People still need more enlightenment on the virus in rural areas
“Our lives have changed with this programme as we now know and understand more about HIV /AIDs,” he said.
The Young man further expressed satisfaction with the programme as he called on other youths to always make themselves available for HIV testing.
It was gathered that the trained 60 AYPs, 40 females and 20 males probably lacked full knowledge of the virus until when they were taught.
On Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS
Hauwa’u Abdulhamid, a staff nurse said expected mothers from the town and neighbouring villages do visit health facilities for antenatal.
“Women are coming in large number for antenatal and we are educating them. In a week we do have up to 30 women coming for antenatal but the number is increasing. We do give them health talks and counsel them before they undergo HIV test,” he said.
It was gathered that other women from neighbouring villages without facilities do come to Birnin Gwari town health facility for antenatal services.
