The Nation Newspaper

Tag: HIV and AIDS

  • Journalists trained on appropriate reporting of HIV and AIDS

    The Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) has called on journalists to through their reportage give hope to people living with the virus.

    The agency made the call during a two-day training workshop which focused on HIV awareness, reporting and communication held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

    The training which had speakers and presenters expose journalists to the implications of negative reporting of HIV and AIDS appealed to journalists to be conversant with terms, words and languages that would not discourage those living with the virus from living well.

    Setting the tone, OYSACA Executive secretary, Mr. Obatunde Oladapo said the objective of the training was to expose journalists and media practitioners from the broadcast, print and online media to the rudiments of HIV and AIDS reporting, teach them the right words and languages to be used in reporting the illness in a way that would promote positive living and give hope to people living with the virus.

    One of the resource persons, Mr Fredrick Adegboye, explained that contrary to public perception that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a death warrant for those infected, many people who are living with the virus and managing it well are living a healthy life like every other person.

     

     

     

  • New names emerge for HIV and AIDS, prostitutes

    New names emerge for HIV and AIDS, prostitutes

    A team of Nigerian linguists and medical experts have adopted new names for HIV, AIDS and prostitutes in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as part of the strategy to reduce the scourge of stigmatisation.
    Professor Herbert Igboanusi of the University of Ibadan said yesterday in a statement that the adoption was to eliminate stigmatisation of and discrimination against persons living with HIV and AIDS.
    He said that the study adopted the following names as more appropriate for the HIV and AIDS.
    HIV in Igbo is Ori Nchekwa meaning something that fights or weakens the body immunity while AIDS is Mminw, a condition that causes emaciation.
    The Yorùbá term for HIV is Kòkòrò Apa Sójà Ara (KASA), meaning sickness that which kills the body immunity while AIDS is ààrùn ìsodole àjesára a sickness that completely weakens body immune system.
    In Hausa, HIV is now Karya garkuwa meaning that which weakens the body immune system while Kanjamau a sickness capable of emaciating one’s body has been chosen for AIDS.
    Igboanusi said that the study was a two-year research titled “A metalanguage for HIV, AIDS and Ebola discourses in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba” sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
    He asked speakers of the three languages to adhere to the use of these chosen terms in order to avoid confusing HIV with AIDS and consequently reduce their spread through behavioural change.
    “It is the researchers’ belief that behavioural change is only possible when the people are familiar with the appropriate terminology for HIV and AIDS in their own languages.”
    Similarly, the experts adopted a new name for commercial sex workers in line with international practice.
    “Since it is now more acceptable to refer to certain persons as “commercial sex workers” rather than “prostitutes”, we agreed on Ndi mkwaughari, which is people who hang around for them in Igbo.
    Gbélé pawó, women who stay at home making money in Yoruba and Mata masu zaman kansu that is women who are living independently in Hausa.

  • African First Ladies call for improved health for women

    The Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA), on Thursday, called for stronger integration of services to improve health of women.

    They made the call at the First ladies session at the ongoing UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, taking place in New York.

    The event was organised by OAFLA in collaboration with UNAIDS, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

    They said adolescent girls must assume leadership roles to ensure the development of programmes and policies that are appropriate to their needs and fully respect their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

    They urged providers of health-care services to integrate service delivery and programme design to support the ability of adolescent girls and young women to make informed life choices and keep themselves healthy, including protecting themselves from HIV infection.

    First Lady of Ghana, Lordina Mahama, said: “the organisation strongly believes that in moving towards the Fast Track Targets we must ensure that no young girl or boy is left behind.

    “We must address the needs of young people, especially young girls, ending gender inequality and other factors that increase their vulnerability to HIV”, she said.

    First Lady of Panama, Lorena de Varela, said that information allowed young people to make choices.

    “I encourage us all to listen to best practice programmes so we can be catalysts and advocates for policies that really work for young women”, she said.

    First Lady of Benin, Mrs Claudine Talon, said in spite of the progress achieved, States must redouble their efforts in ending the AIDS scourge.

    “We must offer in simple way information in relation to HIV infection’’, she said.

    First lady of Burkina Faso, Mrs Adjoavi Kabore, said when the world is entering a new phase in the AIDS response, UN member states need to pay particular attention to women, young girls and infants.

    “We need new strategies to stop violence against women and girls, reduce school drop-outs and end forced early marriage”, she said.

    First lady of the Congo, Antoinette Sassou-Nguesso, said: “we have to offer communities a package of integrated approaches that include immunisation, sexual and reproductive health and rights and education.

    “We need to redouble our efforts to offer antiretroviral therapy to protect the future of our countries because our young people are the future’’, she said.

    First lady of Niger, Mrs Aissata Mahamadou, said “it is extremely important to meet the reproductive health needs of young Africans in order to end the HIV epidemic within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Others who spoke were first ladies of Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, Haiti, Mrs Ginette Privert and Namibia, Mrs Monica Geingos.

    NAN reports that the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), says globally, AIDS-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age.

    In 2015, UNAIDS said there were estimated 180, 000–340, 000 new HIV infections worldwide among adolescents, aged 15 to 19 years, with adolescent girls accounting for 65% of new HIV infections among this age group.

    The UN agency said that gender-based violence, gender inequity, harmful gender norms, stigma and discrimination often prevented women and girls from knowing their HIV status and accessing appropriate HIV prevention and treatment.

  • Tyonex withdrawal: TAM calls for National summit on ARV treatment

    Tyonex withdrawal: TAM calls for National summit on ARV treatment

    The Treatment Action Movement (TAM), Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), and their partners have requested that a National Treatment Summit be convened towards addressing the myriad of challenges plaguing ART provisions in Nigeria.

    They also appealed to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to rescind suspension of Tyonex brand of Antiretroviral (ARV) medicine.

    The groups had earlier raised concerns on the quality and clinical implication of Tyonex which informed the decision of the government body to discontinue the availability of the drug.

    Their position was conveyed through a  statement signed by TAM Executive Committee.

    “Given that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, the extension of quality treatment to those who are HIV positive is perhaps a deeper responsibility than most people realize”, the statement read.

    “Government assume moral responsibility to extend ARV therapy for the remainder of the lives of those who are HIV positive. The repudiation or interruption of that commitment would be extremely damaging.

    “In a broader context, access to essential medicines for HIV/AIDS treatment is now being treated essentially as a fundamental right by nations of the world, and it places obligations on states to ensure access for those in need. This includes obligations on governments to ensure that pharmaceutical systems are institutionally sound and transparent and that there are appropriate mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of corruption, which can deny quality products to those with the greatest need.”

    TAM and its allies also identified the role of the country’s health ministry to ensure improvement of health of the populace. “To be sure, the Nigerian Ministry of Health has a high level of commitment towards improving treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. The Ministry must not be seen to be shirking away from this responsibility for any reason.

    “Responding to HIV has taught us a lot about the importance of partnership, dialogue and the centrality of human rights and human dignity which are central considerations influencing the scope and quality of interventions.

    The organisations highlighted their demands as follow:

    Like we demanded before, we reiterate same demands here again, and they border on immediate steps that needed to be taken to normalise this unfortunate but preventable situation.

    • We request that the suspension as announced should not be allowed to create a gap in access to medicines by patients in all the centres affected by this directive, and that stakeholders be true to commitments as agreed to at the emergency meeting held during the ICASA conference in Cape Town, South Africa in December 2013 which has the representatives of the Ministry of Health, Senate Committee on Health, Members of TAM and NEPWHAN and our development partners in attendance.

    • We request that members of TAM and NEPWHAN be immediately drafted unto the Committee jointly set up by NAFDAC, Federal Ministry of Health and NASCP charged with investigating the quality and other associated clinical issues surrounding Tyonex.

    • We strongly request the cancellation of the contract awarded to Tyonex if the company is found liable in any way.

    • We request that a National Treatment Summit be convened towards addressing the myriad of challenges plaguing ART provisions in Nigeria. The summit should bring various stakeholders including representatives of Government, TAM, Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Implementing Partners, Civil Society, Healthcare Personnel as well as the Pharmaceutical Industry. We wish to emphasize the need for all concerned to sit down to talk, and urgently too, to avert the imminent catastrophe that is breathing down hard on us.

    • We demand that henceforth, the WHO prequalification should be applied to the supply of essential drugs in Nigeria including HIV/AIDS drug procurement and supply.

    • We request an immediate meeting of stakeholders as agreed upon in Cape Town, South Africa in December 2013 to fashion out immediate responses to identified challenges.