Stakeholders in Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS Campaign have decried
the slow rate of improvement in the fight against HIV prevalence in
Nigeria.
Rubbin’ Minds played host to 3 key players representing different organizations in the HIV/AIDS campaign to commemorate the World Aids Day, 2013.
Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/Aids in Nigeria, Ibrahim Umaru using the statistics that Nigeria has over 3.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the country raised the alarm that the HIV situation is still very bad.
“Globally as at the 2012 WHO figure, we have about 35.4 million people living with HIV. So Nigeria is carrying about 10% of the world. And if you look at the population of Nigeria, the over 160 million people, you are sure we are not close to that percentage of the global population. If you look at the level of that number vis-à-vis the content and level of the response, you will know yes we really have an issue.”
HIV/AIDS Campaign Advocate, Titi Oladejo-Davids added that the general response to the issue is lackadaisical because many Nigerians still believe it is a myth. She added however that the many cases people have seen have begun to change their attitude towards taking action.
With statistics showing that majority of people infected with the virus in Nigeria are between 15 and 24 years, Akinbo Conerstone of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, emphasised the need to employ technology and the mobile platform to drive campaigns.
“We need to start calling on corporate social organisations to begin to look at empowering youths in that sector and informing youths in this sector.”
Ebuka wondered why the youths who are expected to be the most informed through their access to information are the most affected. Umaru blamed the development on the media.
“When some journalists publish some stories in the print media and I read it, it lacks content, there’s no investigation following up and the truth is this, if there is an issue in this country and it’s not in the media, then it’s not an issue yet.”
“PDP-APC issue is an everyday thing on all these papers. So as far as I am concerned, the media is not doing enough. The media is supposed to be part of the mechanism for education. That is what is impacting on the low impact on the youths.”
Umaru added “I have lived with this virus for over a decade and a half and I can tell you it is a manageable health condition. People have diabetes, hypertension, malaria and the rest…Malaria kills more people than even the HIV and I put it to you, HIV itself does not kill anybody but it will open a thousand and one doors to other things that will kill you. Parts of those things are stigma, ignorance…and the media is influencing the ignorance.”
Mr Conerstone added that access to information at the grassroots has been a major challenge, as well as ethnic stigmatisation which stands as a barrier between the people and HIV advocates. He also called for a greater sense of responsibility from health workers.
The guests took turns to talk about several issues like access to medication, idleness of Nigerian youths with ASUU strike, stigmatisation, the positive use of the internet, good diet, parental counselling and other key issues.
Rubbin’ Minds played host to 3 key players representing different organizations in the HIV/AIDS campaign to commemorate the World Aids Day, 2013.
Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/Aids in Nigeria, Ibrahim Umaru using the statistics that Nigeria has over 3.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the country raised the alarm that the HIV situation is still very bad.
“Globally as at the 2012 WHO figure, we have about 35.4 million people living with HIV. So Nigeria is carrying about 10% of the world. And if you look at the population of Nigeria, the over 160 million people, you are sure we are not close to that percentage of the global population. If you look at the level of that number vis-à-vis the content and level of the response, you will know yes we really have an issue.”
HIV/AIDS Campaign Advocate, Titi Oladejo-Davids added that the general response to the issue is lackadaisical because many Nigerians still believe it is a myth. She added however that the many cases people have seen have begun to change their attitude towards taking action.
With statistics showing that majority of people infected with the virus in Nigeria are between 15 and 24 years, Akinbo Conerstone of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, emphasised the need to employ technology and the mobile platform to drive campaigns.
“We need to start calling on corporate social organisations to begin to look at empowering youths in that sector and informing youths in this sector.”
Ebuka wondered why the youths who are expected to be the most informed through their access to information are the most affected. Umaru blamed the development on the media.
“When some journalists publish some stories in the print media and I read it, it lacks content, there’s no investigation following up and the truth is this, if there is an issue in this country and it’s not in the media, then it’s not an issue yet.”
“PDP-APC issue is an everyday thing on all these papers. So as far as I am concerned, the media is not doing enough. The media is supposed to be part of the mechanism for education. That is what is impacting on the low impact on the youths.”
Umaru added “I have lived with this virus for over a decade and a half and I can tell you it is a manageable health condition. People have diabetes, hypertension, malaria and the rest…Malaria kills more people than even the HIV and I put it to you, HIV itself does not kill anybody but it will open a thousand and one doors to other things that will kill you. Parts of those things are stigma, ignorance…and the media is influencing the ignorance.”
Mr Conerstone added that access to information at the grassroots has been a major challenge, as well as ethnic stigmatisation which stands as a barrier between the people and HIV advocates. He also called for a greater sense of responsibility from health workers.
The guests took turns to talk about several issues like access to medication, idleness of Nigerian youths with ASUU strike, stigmatisation, the positive use of the internet, good diet, parental counselling and other key issues.
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