The Nation Newspaper

Tag: HIV

  • UNICAL students offer free HIV test, counselling

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has organised free HIV/AIDS counselling and test for students. It was organised by the union’s Director of Welfare, John Alawa.

    The initiative was supported by FHI 360, a non-profit organisation, which provided some of the equipment used in conducting the test. Volunteers were stationed in strategic locations on the campus to ensure that many students benefited from the exercise.

    Officials of the university’s Medical Centre and the National Youth AIDS Programme (NYAP) were at the male and female hostels and the main library to counsel those, who showed interest.

    A member of the NYAP team, Kelvin Ezechiode, said the number of students who turned out for the exercise was impressive compared to the past.

    “The number of students who turned out to be tested this year was quite encouraging, unlike what we used to have,” he said.

    Alawa, a 300-Level Medical Laboratory Science student, urged beneficiaries to keep to the counselling they had, adding that they must be careful in the way they handle sharp objects in order to stop the spread of HIV.

    He said: “Youths are the most vulnerable to be infected with the deadly disease because of their exposure to unsafe acts in their daily activities. As youths, we must continue to undergo the test to ascertain our status. If we want to eradicate the virus from our society, then it is a responsibility on us to make ourselves available for HIV test.

    A beneficiary, James Edet, said: “Knowing your HIV status puts you in a better position to be careful. The advantage of periodic test is enable infected people know their status on time before spreading the disease ignorantly. The test will also make those who are not infected to maintain their status. So, in any case, to know one’s status is the best thing to do.”

    The exercise was preceded by an awareness rally round the campus.

     

  • How safe breastfeeding enhances children’s health

    [dropcap]E[/dropcap]very day an estimated 8000 children die in sub-Saharan Africa from easily preventable or treatable illnesses. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to provide newborns, infants and young children with the nutrients that they need while protecting them against conditions such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and measles.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding that starts within one hour after birth and lasts until a baby is six months old.

    Also, continued breastfeeding and appropriate complementary foods should be made available for up to two years of age and beyond.

    In mid-2013, WHO issued new guidelinesfor breastfeeding and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. These recommendations were intended for use in resource-poor settings in low-and middle-income countries.

    A mother can pass the HIV infection during pregnancy, delivery and through breastfeeding. In some African counties, it is estimated that 20 to 30 per cent of pregnant women are infected with HIV and transmission rates from mother-to-child range from 25 to 40 per cent. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can significantly reduce the risk of transmission.

    “One of the new recommendations for PMTCT is to promote the use of ART in all pregnant and breastfeeding women. These new recommendations also include providing ART – irrespective of one’s CD4 count – to all children with HIV under 5 years of age, all pregnant, and all breastfeeding women with HIV,” said Dr Tigest Ketsela Mengestu, Director of the Health Promotion Cluster of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa.

    To encourage people to do this and to make testing services more widely available, WHO (HQ, Regional and country-level) have worked together with partner organizations to adapt, disseminate and implement these new guidelines in countries.

    At least 90 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS across the African Region do not know that they are HIV positive, and HIV tests are often expensive and not always available to pregnant or breastfeeding mothers and children.

    More women and children are being encouraged to come forward to be tested for HIV as services become more readily available.

    In sub-Saharan Africa, health systems are fragile and staffing is often grossly inadequate to meet rising health needs. Community health workers (CHWs) often play an important role in educating mothers about nutrition, breastfeeding, PMTCT of HIV, and on-going care requirements.

    CHWs also save the lives of newborns through home visits during the postnatal period. This allows them to review the health of the newborn and the mother, and to connect them to appropriate health care services, wherever there is a need.

    While progress has been made in promoting breastfeeding in the African Region, significant challenges remain. Africa is a vast continent containing extremes of poverty and wealth. Under nutrition is still the most important underlying factor causing high infant and child mortality in the Region.

    In order toimprove infant and child health and kick off the post-2015 development agenda, governments in the Region need to expand the use of safe breastfeeding. In 2012, the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of WHO set the target of increasing the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding from 37 per cent to at least 50 per cent by 2025.

     

    Follow the WHO Regional Office for Africa on Twitter @WHOAFRO. The African Health Report 2014 is also available online at: www.afro.who.int/en/rdo/annual-and-biennial-reports/african-regional-health-report-2014.html

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”breastfeeding” count=”6″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link” header_background=”#82473a”]

  • ‘Now, babies can be spared of HIV’

    ‘Now, babies can be spared of HIV’

    It is possible to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV in our lifetime, reports OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA

    It was as much for mother and child as it was for the entire humanity. The venue was the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. The event was organised to prevent the needless transmission of HIV to children. It was basically to show government’s commitment to the elimination of HIV from mother to child, and to tell Nigerians that effective interventions can be introduced to achieve that.

    It was termed the Presidential Launch of the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) Plan 2015 to 2016. The event featured a roll call of who is who. The President, Goodluck Jonathan was represented by the Vice President Mohammed Namadi.  Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Linus N. Awute, and Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA), Dr Ado Muhammad, were all there.

    Representatives of traders, religious leaders and many organisations of people living with HIV/AIDS were part of history to end Mother to child transmission of HIV, which is characterised by infection of an infant with HIV during pregnancy, birth or when breastfeeding.

    According to World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 90 per cent of all infants and children with HIV are infected through vertical transmission. In the absence of any interventions to prevent the transmission, between 15 to 45 per cent of infants will be infected with the virus, and currently more than half of these infants who do not receive treatment die before their second birthday. Scaling up an effective elimination of mother to child transmission, or EMTCT, approach globally can reduce rates of transmission to less than five per cent annually, and avert more than one million new HIV infections among children by 2015, while at the same time improving overall maternal and family health.

    Taking this cue, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) worked out a two-year plan on how Nigeria can achieve the eMTCT goal.

    According to the Director General NACA, Prof John Idoko, global focus has shifted from the prevention of mother to child transmission, to elimination. Activities are now centered on eliminating all new infections of HIV transmitted from mother to child by 2015. ‘To achieve this objective, eMTCT activities focus on specifically strengthening activities to prevent HIV infection among women and their partners, and to expand efforts to reach men and to reduce the stigma of the disease in both rural and urban communities. It is also important to ensure access to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatments for every HIV-infected woman and her partner. EMTCT activities will also strengthen linkages that support safer motherhood and reduction of unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV/AIDS. Finally, EMTCT activities will continue to test ways to expand antenatal and post-natal care services, referrals and ways to maximize each contact with clients, and expand capacity-building efforts to enhance the quality of service delivery,” he explained.

    The President said his government took active interest in the eMTCT because it desired that no Nigerian child should be born with HIV nor live with HIV acquired from its mother, for the 2010 National Sentinel Survey for pregnant women attending antenatal care in Nigeria recorded a HIV prevalence of 4.1 per cent, while the population survey carried out in 2012 observed an HIV prevalence of 3.4 per cent. “Nigeria records an estimated six million births annually and out of this number, a huge percentage of deliveries are outside health facility settings. The unfortunate implication of this is the high birth of HIV positive babies in Nigeria, which according to the United Nations, accounts for over 25 percent of the global burden of HIV positive births. Without treatment, 20 per cent of these children will die before their first birthday and 80 per cent will not live to see their fifth birthday.

    “This is unacceptable to the government of Nigeria which recognises that the lives of all mothers and their babies can be saved through a combination of HIV testing and counseling; access to effective antiretroviral prophylaxis and treatment; safer delivery practices; family planning; and safe breast feeding practices,” stated the President.

    Recalling previous efforts, the President who spoke through his vice said: “In June 2011, the Government of Nigeria with other world leaders launched the ‘Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive.’ This plan aims to reduce the number of new infections among children by 90 per cent and to reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths by 50 percent. Following this and other resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Government of Nigeria hosted the Abuja+12 Special Summit of African Union Heads of States and Government on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria which resolved to implement a Post-2015 strategy to accelerate the eradication of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa by 2030.

    “As part of the overall commitment of the Government of Nigeria to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, I launched the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS and Other Related Infections (PCRP) in 2013. The Government of Nigeria has since recognised that the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) is intricately linked with and directly contributes to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals that have to do with gender equality, reduction of child mortality, improvements of maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS.”

    He said since 2011, the Nigerian Government through the collaborative and supportive efforts of her International Partners has achieved significant progress towards the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.

    President Jonathan said the number of HIV counseling and testing sites increased from 1,357 in 2011 to 7,075 in 2013. During the last three years a cumulative total of 8,202,124 people have been tested for HIV and know their status. The number of PMTCT sites increased from 959 in 2011 to 5,622 in 2013, while the number of pregnant women counseled and tested for HIV and received their results increased from 900, 000 in 2010 to 1.7 million in 2013. The PMTCT program coverage increased to 30 percent in 2013 resulting in a 20 per cent decline in new HIV infections among children. “In addition to these, the Federal Government through the Subsidy Re-investment Program (SURE-P) and other programmes has initiated health systems strengthening projects that are critical to achieving the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in various communities.

    Despite the genuine and commendable progress made in combating HIV/AIDS, Nigeria is faced with several gaps because of her huge population. There are huge coverage and access gaps in Prevention of Mother to Child transmission of HIV.

    Only about 61 per cent of pregnant women attended antenatal care in 2013 and only 36 per cent delivered in health facilities. Government is aware that support from international partners has flattened in the last three years and government has been informed by some International Partners of a gradual withdraw of funding support for some aspects of HIV services in the country.

    The President said in response to these challenges, the will continue to provide the needed level of commitment to ensure progress in combating HIV. “To this end, the Government of Nigeria is committed to the implementation of the plan to eliminate of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV by 2016. The Government wishes to inform Nigerians that it has begun the release of fund for the implementation of the Presidents Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS (PCRP).  Government recognises that a huge amount of resources would be required to effectively combat the HIV epidemic which poses significant threats to the Transformation Agenda and Vision 20/20/20. I therefore call on Government at all levels, the Private sector and civil society organisations to support Government in sustaining a robust response to HIV in Nigeria.”

    He used the opportunity to profoundly thank International Partners who have stood by the country all these years and continue to be a formidable ally in the quest to eliminate Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.

    “The Government of Nigeria is particularly grateful to the United States Government PEPFAR program, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Global Fund, the European Union, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations System to mention a few. I appeal to our International Partners to be patient with the Government of Nigeria as it strives to provide more resources to the many challenges confronting the nation. No Nigerian child should be born with HIV. Together we shall end the AIDS epidemic among children,” stated the President.

    Giving further insight into the reasons for government’s commitment to eMTCT, Senator Anyim said: “HIV in Africa is deepening its hold on our vulnerable population. The effect of HIV on women, young people and babies born HIV positive has turned up unacceptable figures especially in sub-Saharan Africa. It is indeed clear that the fight against HIV would hasten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and sustainable development.  One of the most devastating consequences of the HIV epidemic is the Transmission of HIV from Mother to Child (MTCT). This route of transmission accounts for a significant percentage of the HIV burden globally. The potential impact of Mother to Child Transmission on the achievement of the MDGs is becoming increasingly clearer. HIV has been recognised as a major contributor to the persistently high Maternal Mortality in Nigeria.”

    Senator Pius said: “Nigeria contributes about 25 percent of the global burden of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. The elimination of Mother to Child Transmission is therefore a priority health issue in Nigeria. Some of the challenges being addressed are access to quality and comprehensive Reproductive Health services and low uptake of antenatal services especially in rural areas. This has become very important due to the fact that a 61 percent of women access antenatal care but majority of these women deliver outside medical supervision or by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). There are still gaps in integrating Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) services into existing reproductive health programs at various service delivery points. All these have necessitated the need to accelerate the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission in Nigeria, hence, the launch of the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Plan 2015-2016.”

    He reassured that the government is fully committed to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as part of the overall Transformation Agenda. “The robust management of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which received commendation from the International Community is a further demonstration of Mr. President’s commitment to the wellbeing of Nigerians. The President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS (PCRP) which was launched by Mr. President in 2013 is currently being implemented. I assure you all that the Government of Nigeria will fully support the implementation of the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) Plan 2015 to 2016,” said Senator Anyim.

    There and then, the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) Plan 2015 to 2016 was launched..

  • HIV-challenged protesters

    •It is sad that we abandoned People Living With HIV/AIDS to their own devices

    It is bad enough that in Nigeria over 3.5 million individuals are reportedly members of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN). It is doubly terrible that in the country only 649,000 HIV-positive persons, out of 1.8 million who are in need of antiretroviral drugs, allegedly have access to the care.

    Against this disturbing backdrop, it was perhaps understandable, though equally worrying, that no fewer than 300 NEPWHAN protesters disrupted official activities at the Abuja headquarters of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA), in an expression of bitterness over alleged neglect of the group’s members. It is a sad reflection of the depth of the group’s grievances that its spokesman, Mr. Sumaila Garba, was quoted as saying that the protesters would ensure that the NACA office was not functional for 25 days.

    It is instructive to note that NEPWHAN National Secretary, Mr. Victor Omosahon, shed light on its confrontational approach. He said: “We are concerned about the miserable conditions of the people living with the virus in Nigeria, as well as the high number of people dying daily from AIDS-related complications due to the lack of access to antiretroviral drugs and the on-going withdrawal of funding support for HIV/AIDS to Nigeria by external funding partners.”

    Further unsettling is the group’s more specific accusation that NACA has failed in the implementation of the Presidential Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) introduced by President Goodluck Jonathan to tackle the treatment access problems, among others. This particular allegation is of scary significance, considering Jonathan’s intention announced at the launch of the initiative last year. He said: “This programme will help us bridge existing service gaps, address key financial, system and coordination challenges in current HIV/AIDS response systems.” It goes without saying that failure in this regard will have unimaginably negative consequences for the affected people, and those who are in charge must not allow a debacle.

    It should be said and stressed that, from the state of things, it would appear that the authorities are, consciously or not, creating an enabling environment for a disaster. Or how else should the insight, provided by the Director-General of NACA, Prof. John Idoko, be interpreted?   A defensive Idoko not only pointed out that the Federal Government’s programme “is starting now, after about 10 years of waiting”. He was quoted as saying: “But it is very far from where we should be. The fund for this today should be like N140bn, but only N8bn has been appropriated.”

    This represents a damning picture of the level of commitment of the powers that be when it comes to addressing public health issues, among which the HIV/AIDS burden ranks high. Nigeria has the second-largest number of people living with HIV, according to the 2012 CIA World Factbook, which is a gloomy piece of information indeed. Apart from this, approximately 170,000 people died from AIDS in 2007 alone, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

    Almost three decades after HIV/AIDS was first reported in Nigeria, as the NEPWHAN demonstration has shown, the country is still a long way from overcoming what critical observers have identified as roadblocks, namely, “lack of sincerity, poor funds administration, unclear motives and lax attitude of government officials.” The ugly incident should be probed. Furthermore, it should be seen as an opportunity for the government to seriously review what President Jonathan himself described as “the framework for sustainable financing of health to meet the targeted objectives.”

    The reality of a large HIV-challenged population, which cannot be wished away, should reasonably galvanise the government into action. This constitutes a vulnerable ring and the importance of proper governmental attention to the welfare of those who are living with the virus must be considered non-negotiable.

  • Man, 30, held for rape

    Man, 30, held for rape

    A 30-year old man has allegedly raped a 20-year old girl in Lagos and uploaded her pictures on the internet.

    The suspect, Olaniyan Oluwakayode, allegedly raped the girl in his apartment at Ifako, Agege, Lagos.

    He was arrested by the police and brought to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, in handcuffs.

    The victim, who hails from Akwa Ibom State denied that the suspect is her lover, she said after the incident, Oluwakayode snapped her pictures despite pleas from his sister not to.

    She said: “He stops me anytime I am going to work. He approached me and I told him I was not ready to give him a reply. I did not go to his house. On my way back from work last Tuesday, I saw him running out of his house. The next thing I saw was him jumping down from a fence, held my hand and said he wants to do what’s on his mind.

    “So I asked him why would he do what’s on his mind when I have not even accepted his advances, he said he would do what is on his mind today; so he dragged me into a nearby bush. When I wanted to shout, he brought out a knife and threatened to kill me if I do.

    “So from the bush, he dragged me to his house and locked the door. I tried all I could to open it but I couldn’t because the door is an iron door and very strong. He used his legs to hold my neck, he tore my skirt, my pant and my bra. He beat me very well on my head, neck and body and removed my pant and he slept with me. After he finished sleeping with me, I couldn’t shout again because he was beating me and forcing me to open my legs. When I refused, he also held my neck so I couldn’t shout”.

    The victim said when Oluwakayode’s sister came back around 9p.m., she asked her brother to open the door, demanding to know if he wanted to kill her.

    The victim said when Oluwakayode heard his sister shouting, he took her to the second room and still slept with her after which she urinated on the floor.

    “His sister then came through the second window and pleaded with him to let me go, telling him that if she was the person that was being treated like that, would he be happy about it?  I started crying. I am 20 years old and I work as an Office Assistant and I learnt Fashion Designing.

    “He has been asking me out for a long time. I was never his girlfriend, I have my own boyfriend. He raped me in pains, even his sister was crying and he snapped me immediately. His sister threatened that she would report him to their mother but he ignored her”.

    But, Oluwakayode denied raping her, saying she is his girlfriend.

    According to him, he saw her passing by in June and he approached her for her phone number, which she obliged.

    “I was fighting with my girlfriend but was accused of raping her. I snapped her picture when she was naked. We were fighting inside when I did it.  Any other allegation is a big lie. The only thing I did which I did not deny is that I snapped her picture naked.

    “We were fighting inside because she has been hurting me for a long time. We had an issue which made me delete her number. Last week, she flashed me. When I saw the strange number, I called the number back immediately. When I heard her voice, I asked her what she wanted.

    “Immediately, I called her she told me she was on her way back from work and we met. She even came to my house and we sat outside and talked. She agreed to date me. There was a day we spoke on phone and she was asking me if I had an apartment, I told her that I didn’t want to rush into anything, that I wanted to settle down in my business. I do branding in my house at Ifako.

    “They said I raped her, but one thing is that I have a conscience and she also has a conscience and let our conscience judge. The truth is that I never denied beating her, I did beat her with my head on her face and on her back when she held my manhood; so all the allegation of bringing out a powder, a knife and belt are lies”.

    Director of Child Development, WAPA, Mrs. Alaba Fadairo said the case would be charged to court.

    “From here, we are going to the court because it is an infringement on someone’s right. But it is not immediate because all the necessary tests have to be done, like the evidence, medical report and all. The most important thing is to ensure she has not been infected with HIV. The hospital should be able to prove to us to back up her claims

    “You do not have to force a person to have your way. It has to be mutual consent. The most barbaric aspect is that it was done and it was aired. Where is the dignity of the woman? It shows the person is callous and wicked and I think we should allow the law to take its course so that the girl could feel justice has been served,” she said.

    Mrs Fadairo said the case would not be swept under the carpet except the victim opts out.

    “That’s why I am going to follow it up to the letter and see that the matter is handled. There is no going back.

    “It’s a dent on the victim and it’s not about rape, it’s about putting her pictures on social media. I don’t think anyone will want to opt out. You also know the government has zero tolerance for issues of child abuse except we are not in the know. He is likely to face imprisonment, but the number of years is at the discretion of the court.”

  • An HIV-free generation

    It begins with you

    Worldwide, Nigeria has the second highest number of new infections reported each year, and an estimated 3.7 percent of the population are living with human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV). The number of people living with HIV is 3, 400,000 in Nigeria.

    Young people are the mostly affected by the AIDS epidemic.  According to UNAIDS, every day an estimated 2 500 people aged 15-24 are infected with HIV and this accounts for more than 40 percent of new infections of all people aged 15 and over.

    HIV (human Immune Deficiency Virus ) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The virus damages or destroys the cells of the immune system, leaving them unable to fight infections and certain cancers.

     

    Causes of HIV in children

    Most HIV infections in children are passed from mother to child during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. However, thanks to preventive treatment regimens, the incidence of mother-to-child HIV transmission is decreasing. In 2009, an estimated 370,000 children contracted HIV during the prenatal and breastfeeding period, down from 500,000 in 2001, according to UNAIDS report.

     

    Other causes of child HIV include:

    •Blood transfusions.

    •Illicit drug use.

    •Sexual transmission.

     

    Symptoms of HIV among children

    •Failure to thrive, which is the failure to gain weight or grow according to standardised growth charts used by pediatricians.

    •Failure to reach developmental milestones during the expected time frame.

    •Brain or nervous system problems, characterised by seizures; difficulty with walking, or poor performance in school.

    •Frequent childhood illnesses such as ear infections, colds, upset stomach, and diarrhea.

    How to lead the change

    1)            Live a positive life

    2)            Create awareness in your school, home, market places about HIV and how children can protect themselves from the virus.

    3)            Volunteer your time, skills with a community based organisation, children and youth friendly initiatives that address behavioural change among children and teens.

    4)            Lead the change with your ideas, voice, and demand for a more pragmatic intervention programmes from government and other stakeholders on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment among young people.

    Remember that the future belongs to you and the only way you can make a change is to stand up and be counted for what is right.

  • ‘Greatest sickness today is not HIV but lack of love’

    ‘Greatest sickness today is not HIV but lack of love’

    The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), John Kennedy Opara, is a rare Christian. Like the former president of the US, the late John F. Kennedy who was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas, Okpara’s tenacity, steadfastness and commitment to humanity endear him to most Nigerians, non-Christians alike. He spoke on among other national issues, the increasing spate of violence in the land, religious tolerance, relevance of religious pilgrimage to the citizenry and whether he will go into politics. The Assistant Editor (Arts), OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

    It is common knowledge that Nigeria is currently facing an unprecedented challenge in terrorism. This is also linked to religion and to some extent politics. As a major personality in Christendom what is your take?

    I want to say that no religion encourages destruction of lives. No religion allows people to take lives. People don’t understand the meaning of religion. It means that  every man or woman is free to worship and wherever he wants to worship. And it mustn’t be that I must get you to worship in my church or mosque. God created us as Nigerians, he created us Christians, Muslims and some don’t go to church. No matter how I try or everybody tries all Nigerians cannot be Christians, it is practically impossible. There is no way every Nigerian can become a Muslim even if we have 20 Muslim presidents back-to-back. Most of us take the issue of religion to the extreme. How are you sure of the lineage of the person who is being persecuted for his religious leanings? You may discover that you are linked up somewhere. So what do you stand to gain from all these killings and maimings?  It is unfortunate that someone will kill in the name of religion. It is not acceptable at all and I want to say I have a lot of respect for my Muslim friends, most of them that are reasonable and sound do not agree on this either and say everyone of us values our lives.

    Most of what is happening are politically motivated acts cloaked in religion. And I tell you politics will fail you and human beings will fail you.  The only thing that is permanent is God.

    As head of a Christian body and a key player in that domain, what is your commission doing to resolve these crises?

    You know I have taken part severally in some of the inter-religious dialogues and meetings and the CAN president has been calling series of meetings between Christians and Moslem leaders all for us to find a common ground to understand ourselves better. Myself and my friend, the Hajj Commission Chairman also relate a lot and I will give you a practical example.  Before we got our present headquarters, we were accommodated by the Hajj Commission for three years. We were given accommodation at no cost. In fact, it got to a point they had to pack from the building accommodating the two commissions because we couldn’t stay together as we were growing and the space constraint was there. A Moslem leader conceded his accommodation to me, he was the landlord and I was the tenant. And when I vacated after three years, I gave him the key and I said Bello, I am very grateful and I invited him for the commissioning of our new office and he obliged me. He did what most of my Christian brothers would never have done and I can never deny him anything he wants from me.

    I always believe that we are the change that others see. And you must be the change that the world must see. I always tell people that the greatest sickness today is not HIV but lack of love.

     

    The ongoing National Confab is proposing that government should reduce its sponsorship of pilgrims to the holy land, thus making pilgrimage a personal affair. Also, some delegates are advocating for the review of the commission. How do you react to this?

    I read about it and I said the greatest challenge they had was the issue of communication. What they should have done if the delegates wanted to do a thorough job is to invite the DG of the Hajj commission and I to tell them about these commissions. By the way, they don’t know that these commissions generate a lot of revenue which we pay to the Federal Government. We generate money here.

    Pilgrims pay what we call administrative charges, also the ground handlers and air carriers pay administrative charges too and that money goes to government and government can bank on our internally generated revenue (IGR). My own model is to leave an organisation that is self sustaining and pay its overhead without relying on government.

    The Federal Government does not sponsor people on holy pilgrimage. Government sponsors doctors and nurses, at times 50 doctors and 50 nurses. It is the same thing applicable to the Hajj. People  say what is not true. Agreed that during last year operation we had an increase in the number of self-sponsored pilgrims of 100 percent. We are not sitting pretty either, we are doing all we can to encourage self-sponsorship through adverts on radio and word of mouth and the turn-out is unbelievable because this is what they owe themselves.

    We are also using it to transform the citizens of this country. What is pilgrimage all about? In the NCPC, pilgrimage is used as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation. We believe that when Christians go on holy pilgrimage and are spiritually transformed, they will come back as citizens of our great country and move Nigeria forward and pursue peace where the enemies of peace may be sited. And I have testimonies of people that have been touched by God. Any responsible government will always look out for the welfare of its citizens.

    It is practically impossible for any government to fold its hands and say we are not interested. Massive movement of Nigerians entails a lot in the diplomatic circle and other areas. No country will deal with you as an individual. Like the Hajj that goes with more than 100,000 Nigerians, you expect Federal Government to sit down and watch them.

     

    What of the overhead costs of these commissions?

    The offices that government set up are for administrative convenience. When you have a commission administering the process of pilgrimage, it gives a standard. Why we are not able to achieve what we want to achieve is because we do not plan. I believe what government is doing is commendable, many people are gainfully employed. For example, part of our success story this year is our own Christian Pilgrim Guest House. Christians are lodged there and this generates IGR, it is not free. I think something is missing somewhere for people to advocate the scrapping of NCPC and the Hajj Commission. This is very unfortunate.

    We are also doing something new. We are partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, exposing our pilgrims to the area of agriculture, so they can learn how to farm and do other things when they get there, it’s a rare privilege.

     

    You grew up as a strong Catholic who dreamt of becoming a priest. Are you still within the Catholic faith?

    I was born a Catholic but you know my position is very simple. I am born a Catholic but I am a Pentecostal by fellowship and I always tell people I am an Anglican by association because many of my friends are Anglicans and when they do their programmes I have to join them. Many of the fathers who have blessed me and inspired me to be who I am today are men of Pentecostal fellowship and I fellowship with them. When I visit them I hear the word of God and my faith increases.

     

    Are you interested in politics?

    I am one man that cannot do anything except the Lord speaks to me and tells me what to do. He has never told me to go into politics. For everything you do, the Lord must lead you.

     

    Nigeria is witnessing an increase in influx of people on religious tourism especially with some Pentecostal churches.  What is NCPC doing about this development?

    I was at the last Holy Ghost congress in June and I tell you what we have done since we came on board is to introduce what we call the local content. We now have Nigerians who are into ground handling services, providing services to inbound pilgrims and work with different churches. There are so many of them who can take care of people coming from different countries. We register them to empower them. The churches are aware and have responded positively with some registering their own ground handlers with us and the government generates IGR from this, they pay tax and other levies, you know. We make sure we license them and empower them.

     

    Who do you admire?

    I have come across great men but one man that has stood out without fear of contradiction (because he is my boss) is President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He is a man with wisdom. He is a man I admire so much. I also admire President Barrack Obama of the US and Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.

  • Labour, others to tackle HIV, AIDS pandemic

    Labour, others to tackle HIV, AIDS pandemic

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Canadian Labour Congress, International Confederation of Trade Union/Africa, and the Federal Government have signed an agreement to reduce the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the workplace.

    He trade deal, a recommendation 200 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which has a tripartite process for determining the scope and terms of reference of the national assessment, would support framework for complying with the only global standard on HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

    Addressing newsmen on the importance of the agreement to trade unions in Nigeria, Acting General Secretary, NLC, Comrade Chris Uyot, welcomed it, saying it is one that could have lasting impact on the lives of Nigerian workers and their families.

    He said: “Discussions are now underway with funding agencies to support the initiative, which will identify gaps in making the country’s workplaces stronger instruments of change for addressing the pandemic through joint union/employer actions”.

    According to Uyot, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity will drive the tripartite process with the involvement of the Federal Ministry of Health with support from the ILO, ILOAIDS and UNAIDS.

    “Employers will be represented by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigerian Business Coalition against AIDS (NIBUCA). The process was also welcomed by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

    “R200 promotes inclusive dialogue between the three Nigerian players and deals also with the underpinnings of HIV and AIDS, including human rights, stigma and discrimination, inequality and gender issues,” he said.

  • Sickle cell: Nigerians urged to know their genotype

    The Chairman of the Board of Patrons of Dabma Sickle Cell Foundation, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, has urged Nigerians to know their genotype to reduce the risks associated with sickle cell anaemia and prevent its spread.

    The cleric spoke in Lagos ahead of tomorrow’s Sickle Cell Day celebration.

    He said the disease is preventable, if it is well managed.

    Ighodalo urged the media to give the disease adequate publicity as they give other major diseases, such as malaria and Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV).

    The cleric also listed the activities of the foundation and its programmes for tomorrow’s celebration, aimed at creating awareness on the seriousness of the disease and the need to curtail its spread.

    He said those living with the disorder tend to indulge in self-medication, especially with pain relievers, to reduce the throes of the disease.

    According to him, such practice turns them into addicts to non-prescribed drugs, leading to euphoria, drowsiness, nausea, respiratory compromise, depression, coma and, sometimes, death.

    The foundation chairman noted that the only way out is for governments at all levels and individuals to have genetic counselling materials and information to warn, counsel, prevent and manage the disease among the sufferers.

    Ighodalo advised that newborns, infants and intending couples should be screened to prevent the ailment associated with the diseaase.

    He said: “We want the issue of addiction addressed during this summit. There is also the case of breakdowns of patient-provider trust and poor hospital pain management that occasionally lead to self-discharge based on staff-patient disputes. We must have a consensus definition of opiate use in treatment of pain, diagnosing drug abuse in the absence of pain, continued use, despite knowledge of problems caused by drug use.

    “We must, in this summit, reveal that exposure to a drug use induces diminution of the drug’s effects over time.

    “The compulsive craving must be addressed. People living with sickle cell disorder experience overdose of prescribed and non-prescribed drugs, especially a class of opiods used to treat pain of severe intensity. This results into addiction, which always requires inpatient hospitalisation. Many are in psychiatry units of various hospitals for abuse of substances, some of the addictive behaviours comprise even the doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat complications.

    “Sickle cell pains complicate treatment due to prolonged use or administration and worsen the health of sickle cell disorder patient. The side effects are enormous.

    “In the summit, we want the issues discussed. Let the patients know the consequences. We want the caregivers, doctors, consultants and nurses to be friendlier and careful in prescriptions as advantages in some cases outweigh the disadvantages.

    “Those living with the disorder need education, including parents and members of the public. The consequences of non-compliance with prescribed drugs can be disastrous. Those who are addicted are to see the psychiatrists and psychologists, apart from going through a treatment modality in designated tertiary medical institutions.”

    The foundation will hold an hour of “Red Umbrella Walk” for Sickle Cell tomorrow. It will begin at Bonny Camp on Victoria Island, Lagos, at 8am.

    The foundation urged governments at the federal and state levels to place more emphasis on health and infrastructure.

    It also advised them to ensure strong health policies and support private stakeholders in the fight against the spread of the disease.

     

     

  • Sexual violence, rape and HIV: Matters arising

    Sexual violence, rape and HIV: Matters arising

    Way Forward

    The aggressive social marketing that drug manufacturers have come to be known by  seems to give people the impression that HIV is  just another parasite like the one associated with Malaria. It is time we took a second look at the strategies being  currently applied in the  fight against the virus. HIV test kits are everywhere in patent medicine stores, some genuine, many others fake, and so are many different fake anti-retroviral drugs. Young people, and criminals who rape women of all ages, don’t have the mind and time to negotiate for safer sex, but instead carry these drugs with them.

    There is an urgent need to reactivate all relevant infrastructures set up to counter the spread of HIV/ AIDS. Apathy on the part of government, perhaps as a result of global economic recession, which has caused  marked reduction in funds from donor countries and Non governmental organizations (NGOS) has reduced the frequency, quantity and quality of anti HIV/AIDS campaign. Governments at all levels have been doing what they can, but can do more by injecting more funds into the moribund programs, evaluating existing ones and formulating new policies where necessary.

    Governments can also discourage the  mass distribution of condoms as a way of encouraging safer sex.  The idea was intuitively seminal at the beginning, but we now know that the  unintended negative consequences outweigh  the short term benefits . At one  occasion where youths  from different background congregated, a young lady  not experienced in such matters actually had sex with a total stranger and later  confided in her friend that she actually lured the young man because she was fascinated by the packet and wanted to have an experience. Unfortunately the experienced male drew off the barrier at the peak of  it all and  infected her with the virus. He has since disappeared from her life .

    Nothing seems to be working any where in the country, but as we grapple with problems, we can find ways  if the will is there. Special courts can be set up just for sex related crimes ,with the removal of injunctions. That way, habitual  or serial sex offenders can be promptly kept away so they can’t prey upon the innocent. Instead of blaming the victim, the police will then have the opportunity of understanding the far reaching consequences of rape.

    While in prison, mental rehabilitation should be a major element of the  behavior change programs.

    The social media is an avenue currently under utilized in bringing awareness of the bidirectional  health risks associated with rape. It is time we began to  warn  restless  souls that  HIV is real. It is  very much around and spreading. So that people, particularly those  battling with prevention fatigue  will understand that a single blind moment of sexual gratification can bring  a life time of sadness, for the victim and the perpetrator

    Churches need to also do better than what you find in those places of worship where what matters is the crowd regardless of their  patterns of behavior. For those without dress codes, even pastors can be seen struggling to keep their eyes away from the exposed  body regions

    Family members  should be careful who comes near, cuddles our kids or plants kisses on them. Age appropriate dress codes should be the norms in the house. Children should also be given age appropriate sex education and trained to report any  unusual exploration of  certain parts of the body to Mom and Dad

    It is important to stress that in resource limited countries with  little or no knowledge  about forensic investigations, prevention is safer, and cheaper than cure. Victims of rape should immediately see a qualified medical Doctor ,who will outline what actions, general and specific will need to be taken. People often go to Hospitals days  to weeks after, by which time, you can only do little  because  seeding of infective microorganisms will have begun.  For a sexually active victim who does not know his or her  HIV status, a positive test done  less than a week after the incident may not mean the virus was contracted from the assailant. The same goes for Hepatitis B,  or Syphilis, both have long incubation periods

    A pregnancy test using urine or blood sample is mandatory . The family  Doctor may recommend emergency contraception if victim is a woman in the  reproductive age group, to avoid an unwanted pregnancy ,but also given birth to an unwanted HIV positive baby whose status may not be known until he is over a year old