Reporter : CHINEDU MADU
National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)has stressed the need for heightened media dissemination of information on HIV prevention in the country. The Director General of the Agency, Dr Temitope Ilori made the call during a training on HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), organized for Media professionals in Lagos. Dr Ilori emphasised the critical role media professionals play in strengthening public understanding of HIV prevention methods as well as ensuring unfettered access to accurate, evidence based and life saving information.
Represented by Head Public Relations and Protocol, Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, the NACA boss said media training was organized to increase public awareness of Lenacapavir as an HIV prevention option. He charged media professionals to intensify public enlightenment on available HIV prevention options particularly PrEP, in order to improve access to the right information and prevention services across the country.
According to Dr Ilori, PrEP is an effective HIV prevention option for people who are HIV-Negative and may be at substantial risk of acquiring the virus. He noted that the availability of prevention intervention alone was not sufficient, stating that people also needed the right information to understand the options, know where services were available as well as feel confident seeking them. Dr Ilori said ” as Nigeria centers it’s response under the National Strategic Plan 2023 to 2030, partnerships places emphasis on sustainability, innovation, stronger partnerships, and greater community engagement”
Also speaking , the World Health Organisation’s, Technical Officer for HIV , Viral Hepatitis And STIs in Nigeria, Dr Oluwafunke Odunlade explained that PrEP works by ensuring that preventive anti retroviral medicines are available in the body to stop HIV from establishing an infection following an exposure. In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Patrick Dakum, represented by the Organisation’s Senior Programmes Manager For Prevention, Comfort Amina, commended NACA for bringing Media professionals into the conversation on PrEP. She said the collaboration with NACA and other partners on PrEP pilot programme was to ensure that communities understand HIV prevention methods noting that it’s being implemented in 8 states.
Highlights of the training were interactive discussions, technical presentations, question and answer sessions, and practical demonstrations on HIV transmission, and PrEP. Participants at the training were drawn from the 8 states of the country where the pilot programme is taking place which include Anambra, Benue, Gombe, Rivers, Cross River, Kwara, Ebonyi , Akwa Ibom and FCT.