By Hassan Zaggi
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, has insisted that multisectoral approach at the state levels to sustain the fight against HIV is the sure way to halt the spread of the disease and thereby leading to its end in the near future.
She stated this at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference, in Abuja, on Thursday.
This is even as the 170 youth that attend the conference have identified collaborative engagement among multiple sectors including health, education, youth and sports development, budget and planning, women’s affairs and others alike in the integration of HIV prevention interventions in programs targeting adolescents and young people are key to ending HIV in the country.
Speaking while declaring the conference close, the Director General of NACA said: “We are going to strengthen our multisectoral engagement starting from the state level through our SACAs to deliver their mandate and to ensure sustainability at the grassroots.
“We are poised to fostering community engagements, participation and leadership to keep with the global AIDS strategy. We are also going to strengthen our data to make sure that we get it right, and I think by then, we will have a bigger success story.”
On her part, the representative of the 170 youth that attended the conference, Elizabeth Talatu, said: “We call for the meaningful engagement of adolescents and young people living with HIV including key populations in inter-ministerial task forces and technical working groups responsible for the coordination of multi-sectoral collaboration, resource mobilization, and implementation of HIV prevention programs.
“We call for support for the effective implementation of comprehensive sexuality education, and the strengthening of the in-school Family Life and HIV Education Program in Nigeria.
“We urgently call for partnerships and collaborations among government, UN agencies, civil society organizations, private sector entities, and development partners to leverage resources, expertise, and networks for comprehensive HIV prevention initiatives.”
She further called for the integration of sustainable HIV prevention strategies; promoting mental wellness and combating stigma and discrimination; utilizing technology and innovation for HIV prevention; ensuring the health and rights of key population living with HIV.
“We stress the need for ensuring the health and rights of key populations living with HIV as a cornerstone of our HIV prevention agenda by prioritizing comprehensive care, empowerment, and advocacy for KP communities.
“We call for the strengthening of the capacity of healthcare providers to deliver culturally competent and non-discriminatory services to key populations disproportionately affected by HIV including young men who have sex with men, sex workers, and LGBTQI+ young persons.
“We further call for the removal of legal and policy barriers that hinder access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services for key populations, including age restrictions, criminalization of same-sex behaviour, and punitive laws targeting marginalized groups,” Talatu said.
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