Civil Society Engagement Critical In Fight Against HIV – Group

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World AIDS Day (WAD), Civil Society For HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has urged the federal government to involve civil societies in the planning processes in order to tackle the disease.

Speaking at a conference in Abuja yesterday, CiSHAN said HIV is still a serious problem that requires urgent funding, more awareness, the eradication of prejudice, and improved educational opportunities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) founded World AIDS Day on December 1 in 1988 to promote information sharing between local and national authorities, international organisations, and private citizens.

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The comprised of CiSHAN FCT members such as Citizens Health Initiative represented by Abu Abdulrasaq, ACIST represented by Amos Bawa, Catholic Action committee on HIV/AIDs represented by Julia Ishiguzo, and LOGON Global Foundation represented Oby Okeke, who shared their experience towards HIV/AIDs intervention in their various communities.

In a call for action in commemoration of WAD, the FCT Coordinator of CiSHAN, Chinwe Aganekwu argued that the theme “Equalize” alone is a call to action for all of us to pursue the tried-and-true methods required to redress disparities and aid in the eradication of AIDS.

“This, according to her is to ensure that everyone is well-served, increase the availability, quality, and acceptability of services for HIV treatment, testing, prevention and to combat the prejudice and isolation suffered by people who are HIV-positive and by important and disadvantaged communities, reform laws policies, and practices.

“This will ensure that everyone is respected and accepted. Ensure technology exchange among localities as well as among Global South and the North to provide fair access to the greatest HIV science.

“Communities will be free to utilise and modify the “Equalize” message to draw attention to the specific inequities they confront and to push for the remedial measures required.”

She also appealed to all to confront the injustices that are impeding the fight to eradicate AIDS while lamenting that numerous lives are at stake as a result of the recent stagnation in HIV objective progress and resource depletion.

“HIV became and continues to be a global health epidemic due to a number of shortcomings, including division, inequality, and contempt for human rights,” she said.

Also speaking, the National Programme Manager of CiSHAN, Jonah Agbaji stressed the need for government to involve Civil societies in the planning Processes

“The government is not engaging the civil society organisations directly in planing. At the planing stage civil societies are not part of the discussion and so implementation suffers.

“When money is disbursed for this activity it miss along the road because the right people are not carried along,” he said.