Presidency commends National HIV Response...as NACA counts blessings

January 12, 2007 :: Daily Champion,Lagos

Health activities at Federal government level in the area of anti-HIV/AIDS activities had tremendous gain in 2006. Through effective coordination by the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) led by Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, more awareness campaign prevailed even as activities extended into voluntary counseling and testing as well support for treatment nationwide.

NACA today runs enlightenment programmes on television and radio in addition to the regular awareness creating programmes. In the second quarter of the year, NACA, with full support of Ecobank successfully established Youth Friendly Centres at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Each facility has two counseling rooms, a games bay, library, cybercafé and television sets. Outside of the campuses, NACA also established a VCT centre at Ojodu in Lagos State. The facility is served by three full time counselors.

In Bayelsa State, NACA in collaboration with Shell and the Bayelsa State government realized the idea of a centre of excellence to address the issue of HIV/AIDS. Shell promised an annual support of N450million for five years and has released the contribution for 2006.

Popularisation of the Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategy among staff of the State Action Committees On AIDS (SACAs) as well as media correspondents in the regions, were carried out.

Last in the series of the popularization sessions was held in Benin, Edo State, in November and has been complemented by the N8million support for the installation of billboards in 25 junction towns around the country, provided by Vmobile Nigeria.

Strenghtening relevant civil society groups was another major focus of NACA in the outgoing year. The HIV/AIDS Fund (HAF), which NACA administered is the first single project that provided grants to as many as 103 CSOs within two years, using very transparent selection criteria. This provided opportunity for many CSOs to access grants to increase their institutional capacities and skills in HIV/AIDS programming.

Collaboration with Faith Based Organizations indeed peaked during the year with the inauguration of the National Faith Based Advisory Committee on AIDS November 15, 2006 led by the duo of Dr. Abdul Lateef Adegbite and Arcbishop Sunday Makinde. The committee would supplement NACA efforts on faith based issues as it concerns HIV/AIDS.

In the third quarter edition of the official bulletin of the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, NACA was declared a success story with President Obasanjo noting that the approach to fighting AIDS in Nigeria is one that should be encouraged given its good coordination. To cap it all, the Global Fund Round 5 grant was awarded to Nigeria in the last quarter of the year.

For the third consecutive year, Osotimehin got the mandate to lead the sub-continental HIV/AIDS body, Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organisation, ALCO, which executed several projects successfully including the Love-Life Caravan. The leadership also secured additional $45million dollar grant from the Global Fund.