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Sunday, Dec 1 has been set aside to commemorate the World Aids Day in 2019. The theme for this year is “Communities make the difference” is planned to be used as an opportunity to recognize the important part played by communities in the AID response to the local, national and international levels. World AIDS Day in Nigeria is also observed on the same day.
There are many ways in which communities contributes to AIDS response. The education of people about AIDS is carried out world wide through the communities.
This year World AIDS Day gives the opportunity to make known the roles of communities at this crucial time that has experienced a reduction in funding. It is required that the communities are mobilized and that services go on through the communities.
According to the World Health Organization, 37.9 million people were found living with HIV at the end of 2018. Out of that number, 79% received testing, treatment was received by 62% and 53% had achieved suppression of the HIV virus with lower risk of spreading it.
5 things to note:
The WHO has released five important points to note for this year’s WAD.
- Four in five of people with HIV get tested and 2 out of 3 receives treatment. Communities played a huge part in achieving this.
- WHO recommends that Community-based HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care should be adopted by countries as a core strategy
- Load on health care experts is reduced through Community-based HIV treatment and monitoring. It also saves money.
- Expansion of communities roles and community-based health care will help the countries meet their global HIV and UHC targets.
- Engagement of community and civil society must remain an important strategy to increase primary health care.
You can join the WHO WAD Campaign here.
World AIDS Day 2019 in Nigeria
Nigeria is not left out of the World AIDS Day commemoration. Young people and adolescents every year in Nigeria joins the government and health experts to remember people affected with HIV.
A third of Nigeria’s population are young people and adolescents, which means they cannot be ignored and have to play their part in the National HIV response.
As part of the World AIDS Day commemoration in Nigeria, the NACA, National Agency for the control of AIDS and her partners called out adolescents and young people to participate in an oral presentation to discuss the issue.
The oral competition was open to people between the ages of 14 to 18 and has been broken into three stages.
NACA promised that the winner of the competition will get a check of 150,000, the participant at the second position will receive a check of N100,000 and third place participant will receive a check of N75,000. Grand finale/prize presentation event: 29th November 2019.
World AIDS Day Press Conference In Nigeria
On Wednesday November 20, the w2019 World AIDS Day Press Conference was held at the new NACA Permanent Office, at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
The Director General of NACA, Aliyu Gambo, and some stakeholders explained that there is need for more commitment of the communities in other to reduce the epidemic in the country.
Mark Giambrone, PEPEAR coordinator said “We recognize that successful HIV interventions must involve, be informed by and tailored to those who we serve. Our commitment to reaching all population and linking them to HIV services remains strong. ”
NACA laments the lack of funding for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
Another attendee, Ikponmoosa Blessing, called on the government to ensure prompt payment of government counterpart funding of the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
