By John Oba
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in collaboration with UNAIDS, has begun plans to implement an intensive HIV/AIDS campaign to improve access to service for 2.6 million people in Benue and Cross Rivers states.
Meeting with 50 potential partners of this initiative, including non-governmental organisations, corporate organisations, UN agencies and the Benue and Cross Rivers states governments representatives in Abuja to share ideas on how best to increase uptake of HIV counselling, testing and access to other HIV services, the IFRC regional representative in West Africa, Daniel Sayi, said the goal of the project “is to rapidly and equitably create demand for increased uptake of counselling and testing, and access to other HIV services, at the community level through trained community-based volunteers and community health extension workers.”
He said: “At least 50 per cent of targeted beneficiaries including women involved in transaction sex, adolescents, and pregnant women will receive HIV counseling and testing. Our intention is to bring prevention services as close to the community or household as possible.”
Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Bello Hamman Diram, said the project had a multi-dimensional benefit to Nigeria in general, and Benue and Cross River states in particular.
He said: “One hundred existing community health extension workers (50 per state) will be trained on the creation of demand to increase uptake of HCT and other HIV services. A further 640 Red Cross supervisors and volunteers around health posts will also be trained to promote and support demand creation activities for increased uptake of HCT and other HIV services.”
The Country Director UNAIDS Nigeria, Dr. Bilali Camara, said the partnership with the Red Cross would contribute to the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria of having 80 million people know their HIV status by 2015.