TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP CALLS FOR STRONGER COLLABORATIONS TO REDUCE THE PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS IN ABIA STATE.

A Quarterly Prevention Technical Working Group, TWG, forum alongside the Preventive Partner, Caritas has been organised a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia the Abia state capital.

The Stakeholders of the TWG gathered to showcase what they had achieved in the last quarter also brainstormed on the way forward.

The Stakeholders further called for stronger collaborations amongst the key stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS response in the state to achieve expected results against stigma and spread of HIV/AIDS in Abia state.

They include the State Aids/STl, Viral Hepatitis and Leprosy Control Programs ,SASCP, Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria, CCFN , Local Action Committee on Aids (LACAs), Key Population Groups, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Religious body amongst others all made the call during the meeting in Umuahia.

In their respective presentations they pointed out areas they should double efforts especially to ensure that people living with the pandemic succeed in suppressing their viral loads for a healthier society.

They described the meeting as a very robust one and a wake-up call for better intersectoral collaboration, for all hands to be on deck.

Speaking at the meeting, the Director General, Abia state Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Dr Uloaku Emma Ukaegbu, noted that people adhering to their treatment, can achieve viral loads suppression without further spread of the disease.

According to Dr Emma Ukaegbu, there is ongoing efforts by the Agency in intensifying, counselling to caregivers to disclose status to Adolescents who are HIV positive and were on anti-retroviral drugs without knowing the essence of treatment given to them by their parents to enable them to prioritise their treatment.

The DG urged the residents to embrace routine checks to know their HIV status pointing out that the HIV pandemic is no longer a death sentence.

She thanked Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering Commitment in providing standard and modern equipped Health facilities across the political wards pointing out that the effort had strengthened HIV/AIDS intervention and expressed her optimism that the prevalence had reduced in the state.