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Tag: HIV/AIDS

  • HIV/AIDs not death sentence —Expert

    HIV/AIDs not death sentence —Expert

    Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CHIP)  Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Bolanle Oyeledun, has said that HIV/AIDs is not a death sentence.

    She said this as she warned against stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDs.

    Speaking to newsmen shortly after commissioning the Kagarko General Hospital  renovated and upgraded by CIHP, Dr. Oyeledun said the organisation had trained about 22,000 service providers to assist in the fight against HIV/AIDs virus in Kaduna State.

    According to her, the group has tested over 350,000 people in Kaduna State, including about 300,000 pregnant women out of which over 12,000 HIV positive had been given treatment and over 5,000 children were equally handled by the organization.

    “We have also been supporting over 20,000 vulnerable children in the state. We are paying their school fees from primary to secondary schools. We have also trained and equipped some of them after secondary school in vocational business.

    “We all know that you don’t catch HIV/AIDS by touching, sharing utensils and/or sleeping on the same bed with  people who are positive. We are all aware of ways through which people can contract HIV in Nigeria: through blood transfusion, sharing sharp objects, unsafe sex and all that.

    “We have been working with state Ministry of Health and KASACA in order to provide comprehensive quality HIV treatment services to the people of Kaduna State,” she said.

    Dr. Oyeledun however explained that they renovated the hospital as part of their contribution to provide qualitative health care service to the people.

  • ‘To be HIV- positive is not end of life

    ‘To be HIV- positive is not end of life

    Mrs Stella Ebelu was a spinster when she tested positive to HIV 20 years ago. Now married, the mother of five , tells OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA  how she has been coping as a person living with HIV/AIDS. 

     

    How did it all start?

    I am Stella Ibianujulu Ebelu,  37 years old, living with HIV since 1994. I am at the moment a treatment support specialist. I read Hotel Management and Catering. I became infected with HIV through blood transfusion. I am a mother of five children, three boys and two girls and all of them are negative, that is, none of them is living with HIV. I had a growth on the back of my neck. I went to the hospital and after many tests and screening I was told I will need to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. And I will equally need blood for the surgical intervention. Then I was single. My people were told and my brother volunteered to donate blood for me. He is now late. The operation was done and I was discharged. After six months I started feeling sick. I developed herpes and I was taken back to the hospital. Screenings and other tests were conducted. There and then, I was screened for HIV and I turned out positive. My world collapsed like a pack of cards. I didn’t know what to do or make out of my life. As a single lady many thoughts crossed my mind and I became worried on how to carry on with my life. The hospital intervened by counseling me. The drugs introduced to me then, were highly expensive.

    I then relocated to Enugu, and started living with the determination to live and survive. How to go about my life not infecting others, as well as live without coming down with AIDS were utmost on my mind. There and then, a trader-man from Kafanchan showed interest in me. And said he wanted to marry me. Before we could go far in whatever existed between us, I told him about my HIV status. He doubted me and said that was a huge ploy by me to discourage him. He said he will not give up on me that he genuinely loves me. And said that he will only believe me if we both go for testing and screening in a hospital. I agreed. After the screening, the results indicated that he is negative and I am HIV positive. So, I asked him what the next step would be, and to my surprise, he said he will go ahead with his plan to marry me. I asked him why; he said I am truthful and that he loved me and can trust me with his life, because if a woman could not hide such a secret from a man that is well-off then the woman must not be given up. I saw through him, his sincerity and genuine love. So, I took him to my people. They welcomed him and asked him if he knew my status. He answered them in the affirmative. And that was how we commenced steps to marriage.

    As Christians, we wanted to do church wedding so we informed my pastor. My pastor said we should go for some screenings such as for hepatitis, blood type, Rhesus and HIV. We both did series of screening; the results were all negative, except mine that turned positive for HIV. He told my fiancée what he would be doing with a HIV woman, knowing he is the only son. My fiancé insisted he wanted me and no other lady. My pastor put his feet down that the marriage can’t hold, more so in his church. So, I and my fiancé settled for traditional wedding. As fate would have it, there were crisis at Jigawa that spread to Kafanchan so we decided to settle in Abuja. I enrolled for antenatal care at Asokoro General Hospital, Abuja; the drugs were not free then. Nurses and counselors really supported me. Then there was the introduction of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCTH). PMTCT is a top priority for PEPFAR, an international body that provided antiretrovirals (ARVs). In 2002, we had our first baby. I was resolute not to become a burden to my people, the nation or anybody. I took responsibility for my health by accessing the drugs and using them. I did not miss my antenatal clinic days. There were phases in the drug policy- from being expensive, to being subsidised and totally free. Because I was taking my drugs and kept to good diet and nutrition, my viral load really came down and I was able to deliver my children through birth canal (normal delivery) not through cesarean section (CS). And I breast fed them each for six months, no water, herbal drinks or baby food, just breast milk only.

    How did you survive the stigma and discrimination associated with breastfeeding?

    I suffered an intimidating stigma and discrimination at its highest peak. When I was single and confirmed HIV positive, my stepmother used to humiliate me. She will not associate with me or use anything with me in the house. If I used a cup to drink, she will either throw it away or restrict me to just that cup alone. She said the water in the kitchen pot will be infected if I used same. She will tell our neighbours not to play with me or didn’t they know my status. Many women will take away their children inside and tell them not to play with me. My friends in the neighbourhood abandoned me. At a stage I just summoned courage and decided to live my life.

    So, when I got married, and stopped breastfeeding my first baby at six month, I was naturally afraid of what people will say and actually people raised eyebrow. In fact, when we travelled to my husband’s place, his people were asking me why I stopped breastfeeding the child at six month, thinking I was wicked. But my husband will stand for me. He will tell them that he did not want me to suffer myself that six months were enough to breast feed. I can say boldly that my husband is my backbone. He supports me. So, with time people knew my pattern of breastfeeding for just six months. Some guessed reasons why. But all my five children, the last born, a male, is two years and does not have HIV.

    What do you do for a living?

    I have acquired experience and can share with others that being positive is not the end of life. I now counsel women, especially pregnant women. I visit them at home, encourage them. It is a delight when you see a pregnant woman move from fear to fulfilment, in terms of taking her drugs, to save delivery and producing negative baby.

    What message do you have for the society?

    The misconception people have about HIV/AIDS is high.  HIV is not a deadly sickness. One must do the right things for it not to move to AIDS stage. Just like managing High Blood Pressure from turning to stroke. I want to thank the government for providing the drugs for free. Positive people should be strong and forget what people are saying that can lead to stigma or discrimination. Let us mind what God says about us. His word is final. I will encourage all women to always check for their status and access treatment once positive. I could have five HIV Negative children because I know my status and accessed treatment. Many pregnant women should go to traditional birth attendants (TBAs) who don’t even know their HIV status or how to go about treating and caring for them. That is the first step, the second thing is to accept the reality of your status and thirdly, follow it up with adequate treatment. There are mentoring mothers, counselors and treatment support specialists in our hospitals nationwide to help you out cope with the status and the pregnancy, who will help out with their experiences.

    What advice do you have for Nigerians?

    The world has moved on in the area of HIV/AIDS. And Nigerians should update themselves on HIV/AIDS. And for men out there, they should emulate my husband. Support your wife, your family. What will you gain if you mess up your home by pushing out your wife and children? It is the way you package yourself and your home that will determine how others will relate with your family. If that man had chosen to throw me out, today I won’t be this happy because that aspect of my life will ever be there. And probably won’t be able to save all these lives am saving. Society at large should stop stigmatising but rather support positive people. And for positive people, nutrition is very good in the fight against HIV. Eat well balanced nutrition, HIV does not select food, like diabetes, ARV is toxoid and a lot of fluid is required, i.e eight cups of water in a day, rest and don’t compromise your treatment. Avoid alcohol, smoking, herbal concoction and live a productive life.

  • ‘600,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kaduna’

    The Kaduna State chapter of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, on Monday berated the state government over what it referred to as non-challant attitude towards the welfare of its members.

    Citing the 2012 National Agency for Control of AIDS report, the group said Kaduna State was having prevalence level of 9.2 per cent from initial 4.2 per cent, indicating that over 600,000 people are living with the virus in the state.

    The network added that failure of the state government to rise and respond to this call within reasonable time, would increase the number of affected persons at geometric rate which may not be good for the economy and socio-political status of the state.

    Lamenting the ordeal of his members, the state Coordinator of the Network, Mr. Benjamin David Angboson, said, “Kaduna State was having prevalence of 9.2 per cent from initial 4.2 per cent, indicating that over 600,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kaduna State, according to NACA 2012 reports.”

    According to him, people living with the virus are now spending between N8,000 and N8,500 to access the drugs on their own.

    “Imagine someone who is not working and has been struggling on how to get what to eat and now has to combine the money for the Retro Viral Drugs. That shows such a fellow will go into dubious business include prostitution and the virus will continue to increase at geometric rate.

    “We are also looking at the area of skill acquisition programme to equip people. We learn that the state governor has been training people under SURE-P and applied. Since then, four months now, our own has not been approved,” the coordinator stated.

     

  • HIV/AIDS: Getting to Zero campaign holds in Lagos

    The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Coca-Cola and Friends Africa, have concluded plans to hold the Third World AIDS Day on December 6 in Lagos.

    The campaign, whose theme is Getting to Zero, aims at removing stigma and discrimination from those living with HIV and AIDS. The campaign will also leverage on the power of sports to create more awareness about HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination. As a result, it hopes to assemble an array of stars to play for pleasure.

    At a briefing in Lagos, Friends Africa’s goodwill ambassador and Olympic Gold Medallist, Mr Emmanuel Babayaro said: “I am excited to inform all that there is increased commitment from Nollywood and the entertainment industry to continue to advocate for HIV-free generation. We cannot let this continue and the only way to end stigma is to increase the number of voices drawing attention to the issue.”

    He reeled off names of those that would play in the event entitled:  Superstars Play for Life, to include JayJay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro, MI, Sound Sultan, Dr Sid, Uti Nwachukwu, ID Cabasa, Femi Obong Daniels, Afeez Ayetoro, Segun Arinze, Fred Amata, Nonso Diobi, John Njama and Sexy Steel.

    Other celebrities are Mobi Oparaku, Ben Akwuegbu, Teslim Fatusi, Emeka Ezeugo, Taiwo Enegwa and Abdul Isah.

    Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Friends Africa Dr Akudo Anyanwu Ikemba said: “The major issue facing the eradication of the pandemic remains the stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV and AIDS.

    “HIV and AIDS is not the same as living with diabetes or hypertension as the continuing stigma has caused people to neglect the collection of their drugs. The campaign remains focused on ensuring that stigma and discrimination are completely eliminated from Nigeria.”

    She said the event would be sponsored by Coca-Cola, Access Bank, FCMB, FBN Capital, FBN Asset Management, Exxon Mobil, SO&U, Owu Sportswear, CoolWazobiaInfo, Beat FM, Brilla FM, Jobberman, SportsDey, SFH, LASACA and NEWPHAN.

    The Public Affairs and Communications Director, Coca Cola Nigeria, Mr. Clem Ugorji, said: “Every problem in the community can be solved when there is a golden triangle which strongly involves the government, people and civil societies. The power of awareness cannot be equated to anything else and the first step needed to address the pandemic is to encourage more people to get tested and know their status. This is what Coca-Cola remains committed to.”

    Head, Corporate Communications and Sustainability, Access Bank Plc, Mrs Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said: “Although Access Bank remains committed to ending the scourge against the pandemic; we are still not there yet. There is need to increase advocacy, our reach and the impact of the campaign to more communities and the surrounding environments.”

    Head, Corporate Communications and CSR, FCMB, Mrs Uche Mojekwu, said: “FCMB remains focused on ensuring a healthy workforce by empowering communities with the necessary life skills needed to address stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV.”

    She urged the media to report the successes of the project and contribute their quota by spreading the word about HIV and AIDS and its impact.

    The campaign scheduled to hold fromDecember at the Campos Mini-Stadium, off Catholic Mission, Onikan, Lagos would feature a week-long free voluntary counselling and testing of over 20,000 people, distribution of thousands of IEC materials, provision of accurate information about the pandemic, dissemination of vital information to over three million people using several media platforms, including local languages to further educate and empower people with information needed to help prevent new infections.

    The Play for Life campaign will also feature a novelty football match scheduled to hold on Saturday, December 6 by 11:00 a.m. at the Campos Mini-Stadium Onikan, Lagos.

    The match will bring together over 3,000 spectators and communities of person’s living with HIV and AIDS to witness the selfless display of renowned football players and celebrities playing against one another and lending their voices to a laudable cause.

  • UN collaborates with faith-based organisations

    The United Nations is exploring ways to increase better collaboration with the inter faith organisations in the country to reduce challenges in security and health.

    According to the Board chair at the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten, faith-based organisations provides infrastructure critical in reaching marginalised groups.

    He spoke during a side meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGAS). The meeting was organised by the Centre for Global Health and Diplomacy conference.

    “In order to reach children on the margins, the infratructure of faith based organisations is critical, in mobilising mothers, fathers, volunteers and additional resources. They are important as advocates for global health, especially in country that may need more support resources for these causes,” said Høybråten.

    Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Medical Mission Board, Bruce Wilkinson, said: “Amongst other causes, faith-based organisations have played roles in debt relief, HIV/AIDS programmes and in government-funded programmes against malaria.

    “Now we have a chance of universal health coverage to exercise great influence, not because we are on the ground but we can influence leadership and policymakers to take that next step.”

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, said Nigeria had benefited greatly from collaborating with inter-faith organisations, especially on security and health.

    The country has brought faith-based groups nationwide under one umbrella: the Nigerian Inter-faith Action Association (NIFAA), also known as Inter-Faith. This unites leaders of Christianity and Islam in the fight against poverty and diseases.

    Alhassan said faith-based groups “can solve the nitty-gritty issues in communities.

    “We believe Inter-Faith is working, and yielding a lot of positive results. What we need to do is to strengthen our partnership with these organisations.”

    He spoke on a panel debate on the future of the global health architecture, considered fractured, but with potential faith-based groups can fulfil.

    The minister told the panel that faith-based organisations played  important roles because the public listen to them much more than to the government.

    “We have a lot of contact with religious leaders. We have a powerful Inter-Faith organisation. A lot of ordinary citizens will listen to them more than the government,” he said.

    The Inter-Faith engagement focuses on malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, polio, and poverty impact.

    He described the partnership as “tremendous”, exemplified in the ongoing fight to stop polio transmission by year end.

    Alhassan said the long battle with polio had been pragmatic, without much success due to what he described as “poor quality campaigns”, which didn’t stop the number of cases year in and year out, until faith-based groups became involved.

    He said: “The same approach was used containing the Ebola virus disease.

    ­”With the involvement of faith-based organisations, there is added quality in terms of selection of teams and community involvement.

    “That’s what we borrowed during the Ebola crisis, and it really helped us. Immediately, all the major faith-based organisations came out supporting government, organising health camps, educating the general public, and a lot of people listened to their religious leaders.”

  • Women living with HIV/AIDS seek help

    Women living with HIV/AIDS seek help

    Some women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) under the aegis of Coalition of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (COWHAN) have urged the government to come to their aid.

    The women, through their National Coordinator, Mrs Lucy Attah, made the appeal at a media briefing in Lagos.  Mrs Attah, who has remained infected for 17 years, with none of her three children infected, said the condition of the women living with HIV/AIDS is pathetic since there is no support from any quarter of the society.

    “We live with stigmatisation and discrimination and at the stage of child giving we are mostly rejected and abandoned; this is a serious case because the doctors and nurses are not ready to carry out their duties. Some of us lack proper counselling at clinics on infant feeding and this boosts HIV/AIDS among the young ones.

    “The government is not doing enough to see to our plights. We have been subjected to neglect and stigmatisation, hence we are appealing that the government to do something about this to curb further spread of the disease,” she said.

    Mrs Attah, who admonished every HIV/AIDS-positive patient to use his drugs, take his dose completely as instructed, warned that some of the drugs administered on patients by doctors have negative effects that could cause mental disorder and miscarriage among other dangers.

    The National Secretary of the COWHAN, Mrs Priscilla Ingbian, lamented the inhuman treatment meted out to them at hospitals. She said the Viral Loads Machine which are meant for tests are not available, adding that less than eight centres in the whole world have the machines.

    The group’s National Treasurer, Mrs. Blessing Obius, said: “For a long time now, patients do not have access doctors owing to their strike. On September 27, I lost a patient that I referred to the hospital for TB check; owing to their lack of dedication to the profession, the patient died. They told me there was no light for screening sputum and he gave up”.

  • No Ebola case in Edo, commissioner affirms

    The Edo  State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion, said yesterday that no Ebola case has so far been recorded in the state even as he assured that the state government has put the necessary machinery in motion to check the prevention and control of the virus in the event of an outbreak.

    Odion, who spoke at the inauguration of the State Rapid Response Committee, put in place by the state government to curtail the spread and control of the virus, urged media practitioners to be accurate in their news reportage so as not to mislead the general public with falsehood.

    While acknowledging that Ebola is more dangerous and deadlier than the dreaded HIV/AIDS, he, however, charged media practitioners in the state to always cross-check their facts before going to the press.

    Odion, who is also a member of the 44-man State Rapid Response Committee on Ebola, however, called on media practitioners to partner with the state government in the sensitisation and awareness campaign towards the prevention and control of the virus in the event of an outbreak.

    On his part, the State Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti called for life insurance scheme which would properly spell out remuneration for healthcare providers who will be volunteers for the treatment of the virus in the event of an outbreak in the state.

    Prof Omoti ,who hinted that the NMA has already lined up a large number of volunteers in the event of an outbreak, further revealed that medical doctors in the state in spite of ongoing strike have already volunteered to participate fully in the treatment and control of the virus.

    Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadi said the hospital has already set up a committee on the Ebola virus in the event of its outbreak in the state.

    On her part, the representative of the State Coordinator of World Health Organistion in Edo State, Ms. Kate Okungo said the organisation is collaborating with newspaper vendors in disseminating information on the Ebola disease through hand bills, posters, vests and other printable materials inserted inside newspaper for onward distribution to the general public.

    Okungo further informed that WHO is also making use of disease control officers in the different local councils across the state as well as immunisation officers for the purpose of disseminating information to create awareness for the control and prevention of the disease.

    In a related development, the Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities has embarked on a sensitisation and awareness campaign with a theme: ‘Say No To Ebola.’

    The campaign was flagged off yesterday by a top director of the Ministry, Mr. Sylvester Okokhere on behalf of the ministry.

    The officials of the ministry embarked on a road show from Sapele Road, Ring Road and its environs.

    Okokhere noted that even though Ebola is not in Edo State, there is need for continuous enlightenment on prevention, adding that it will help in letting the people know what to do to prevent the disease from spreading to the state.

  • Ministry, agency sensitise youths on HIV/AIDS

    The Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Alausa-Ikeja in collaboration with Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has advised students to drop habits that could predispose them to contracting HIV/AIDS.

    No fewer than 200 higher institution students attended the exercise.

    Participants were charged to stop the spread of the dreaded virus by protecting themselves from unprotected intercourse.

    The seminar was held at Kakawa Hall at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu campus.

    The HIV/AIDS Prevention Unit Project Manager of the ministry, Mrs Titilayo Abraham-Onu, said the aim of the event was to make students have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS and how it could be prevented.

    “The objective os this seminar is to make the students have a knowledge of the HIV virus and how to protect and prevent themselves from contracting it.” she said.

    Mrs Abraham-Onu said the government was making efforts to manage the spread of the disease.

    Technical Adviser of the Enhancing Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS Response (ENR), Mr Hamzat Ibrahim, condemned stigmatisation of the victims.

    Hamzat said the virus could not be transmitted by mosquito bite, hugging or kissing.

    He said: “Misconceptions like mosquito bites, witch craft or wizard, sharing of toilet materials with an infected person cannot transmit the virus but stigmatisation is a negative tag or labelling given to the victim either by their peer group or family like living corpse, AIDS career. Please desist from calling them names.

    “I implore you today to practise safe sex. Infected mothers should seek advice before pregnancy. I also want to urge you to avoid the use of unsterilised skin-piercing instruments,” he stated.

    Mr Hamzat Ibrahim said the exercise was necessary for the students to know their status and to make Lagos State HIV-free.

    President, Nigerian Association of Agricultural Students, LASPOTECH chapter, Joseph Ilori, said many students were ignorant of their status, calling on the Lagos State government to encourage medical centres to do more enlightenment campaigns.

    Lateef Olaide, a student of Agricultural Technology, said the programme was educative.

     

  • Ebola: Red Cross moves to prevent spread

    Ebola: Red Cross moves to prevent spread

    The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society has expressed its readiness to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus, malaria, HIV/AIDS, cholera and water-borne diseases, among others.

    It spoke yesterday through its branch chairman, Mobolaji Onibudo, an engineer, during the opening ceremony of its 50th anniversary at Government College, Ikorodu. The event was its annual youth leadership course and camping with the theme: “My Red Cross Story.”

    The camp, which hosted the members of the society across local government areas in the state, will end on Sunday.

    Onibudo said that after the ongoing training for some of its members on Ebola Virus, they are expected to go to their local government areas to educate other members.

    He said research is ongoing to find a cure for the virus, adding that it must be properly managed to prevent its spread.

    “This is why some of our members are in the training to ensure that Ebola is properly maintained and curtailed. The only thing we can do is to sensitise and enlighten the public to have good hygiene to minimise the risk of the virus.

    “The disease cannot spread by you just touching, but it can spread through contact with body fluid of the carrier of the virus. This is why we tell people to ensure that they have their hands washed from time to time and have them dried up properly with disinfectants; these are the areas that the germs will not turn into any form of virus that can lead to Ebola,” he explained.

    Onibudo added: “We should avoid the body fluid of suspected carriers from getting in contact with ours. This is the minimum precaution we can talk about now.”

    Saying that the society is also into sensitisation on malaria, he explained: “We go out from time to time to ensure that the environment is kept safe and clean from mosquitoes that could lead to malaria. We also we embark on spirited HIV/AIDS sensitisation whereby you need to keep a safe life by ensuring that you keep to one partner so that you do not stand the risk of contracting AIDS. Where we have AIDS victims, we enlighten the public on how not to stigmatise them.

    “We also educate the youth on water-borne diseases, cholera and first aid in cases of disaster. We develop the youth on leadership training and ensure that women are properly empowered and enlightened. We also do prison sansitisation to ensure that they maintain good sanitation there.

    “We provide water across the state. We just finished one in Badagry, where we provided water for about 10 communities and we intend to extend to some other rural areas in the state”.

    The Director of Post Service, Office of the Head of Service in the state, Mrs Rolat Alaka, representing the Head of Service, praised the society for developing youths.

    She said the state government was doing a lot on Ebola Virus, adding that all those who came in contact with the man that died of the virus are being checked.

    Mrs Alaka urged anyone with the symptom to report immediately to the hospital to prevent the spread of the virus.

    She advised the public to stop self medication, adding: “Go to the hospital whenever anything is wrong with you. Use only the drugs that are prescribed to you so that the drugs don’t lose their value in your body when you truly need them.”

    The Chairman, 50th anniversary planning committee of the society, Mr Bamigbola Shue-Tijani, said the celebration was to help youths in variety of ways and urged more youths to join the society.

  • ‘Truck drivers, ‘commercial’ sex workers more susceptible to HIV/AIDS’

    Truck drivers and “commercial” sex workers (SWs) are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS than other members of the society, says a study.

    The study tagged: Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (ALCO), was carried out in West Africa’s five major ports: Apapa, Cotonou (Benin), Lome (Togo), Tema (Ghana) and Abidjan Cote (D’Ivoire).

    It was entitled: ‘Sexual transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey in ports’, sponsored by Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Project.

    The aim, Assistant Director, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr Dayo Lajide, said this is to help reduce incidence of HIV and AIDS and alleviate its effect on those infected and affected.

    She said the study would help governments to provide intervention in the ports.

    The targets, she said, are the truckers and sex workers because both by virtue of their profession have a higher risk of contracting the disease, especially because of the mobile nature of the former’s job.

    Lajide said: “This study has helped us to understand what the prevalent rate is. It has also helped us to know the kind of behaviour they exhibit or knowledge that they have about the disease.

    “By this, we can know the type of programme to design to prevent the transmission of the disease.”

    She said it was discovered that major roads and borders crossing help to accelerate the transmission of the virus due to the high mobility of people, goods and services among the countries.

    The road transport workers are at risk because of the highly mobile nature of their work.

    She said their job makes them to be away from their relatives a lot.

    “Sometimes when the call of nature is upon them they have the urge to engage in sex with commercial sexual workers or even young girls who sell food and other items to them when they have stopovers,” she said.

    She explained that the sex workers who were studied generally work in the cities, adding: “And they are the preferred targets for AIDS prevention interventions as was shown not only by the exposure indicator but by behavioural and knowledge indicators”.

    The level of the indicators, she said, shows the programmes implemented in the different countries, are producing results.

    LSACA Prevention/Focal Person, Mr Michael Essien, urged the five countries involved in the study, to scale-up prevention activities to hasten the declination of prevalence which has been initiated in all the countries.

    Essien said the prevalence observed in the port areas is identical to national prevalence estimated during the national Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) and is influenced by many factors.

    “The development of an appropriate strategy and the strengthening of activities towards this objective which is the main target fuelling the epidemic will enable countries to control the epidemic in the coming years” he said.

    He said two major concerns were identified in this study and requires the necessary action. They are drug used by sex workers (SWs) and sexual exploitation of minors.

    “Over a quarter of sex workers use drugs and it would therefore be pertinent if each country establishes a system of fighting against drug use among SWs. “Sexual exploitation of minors in the sex trade has been noted in all ports. It is desirable that countries design a recovery and rehabilitation system for minors involved in the sex trade,” Essien said.