Police Take HIV/AIDS Advocacy Campaign To Abeokuta Streets

CSP Ihegboro

ABEOKUTA - Police Action Committee On AIDS (PACA), Ogun State on Wednesday embarked on advocacy campaign against the scourge of HIV/AIDS on the street of Abeokuta.

Speaking at the sensitization rally at the NUJ Press Centre in Abeokuta, the Medical Officer in charge of the Nigeria Police Force Clinic, Dr. Lukmon Adedokun has called on government at all levels and other stakeholders in the health sector to increase funding in the sector to improve testing and advocacy of HIV/AIDS in the country.

 

Dr. Adedokun made this call while addressing newsmen during the HIV/AIDS free testing and counselling programme to mark the 2021 World AIDS.

The medical practitioner explained that testing was only free during the annual celebration, emphasizing that with increased funding the test can be free every other day.

Dr. Adedokun said Nigeria has not won the battle over HIV/AIDS, hence, the need for government, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in the health sector to intensify the campaign against the spread of the disease.

His words"Just like the theme of this year, today is set aside to sensitize the public, that we are doing this testing. For today, the test is free but other days you are going to pay for it. If the government can increase funding into the health sector so that this test can be free any time of the day. It doesn't have to be a particular date of the year, it should be free.

"It is to have more advocacy to people that are already living with the condition because another problem we have in this environment in Nigeria generally is stigmatization, some people don't want to get tested because they would be stigmatized, they are afraid of knowing their result, some people are living risky life and they are afraid that if they get tested it may turn out to be positive and they are afraid of being tested.

"The prevalence of this HIV is actually much in some states, for instance it is more common in Benue State probably because of their lifestyle and the kind of things they do there.

"There are some bodies that are providing this drugs for them for free, one of them is PEPFA, so when we test an individual and he turns out to be positive, the next thing we do send them to the appropriate centers where they can get treatment for it and the drugs there are there for free, he said.

The Police Officer in charge of police medical services, Ogun State Command, CSP Ihegboro Minachiso urged people not to concentrate on Covid-19 alone that they should remember there are other health challenges ravaging the whole world like HIV/ AIDS.

Ihegboro disclosed that the programme was an initiative of the Police Action Committee on AIDS (PACA) and that thier sensitization is beyond the World AIDS day alone.

He, however, encouraged the people to always get themselves tested and protected during sex.

The awareness campaign also witnessed free distribution of condom and free HIV/AIDS test.