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Traditional rulers, government partner on HIV/AIDS scourge

By Oluwaseun Akingboye, Akure
20 November 2016   |   3:08 am
The Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi has promised the support of traditional and opinion leaders to assist the Ondo State Agency for Control of AIDS and the civil societies....

AIDSHIV

The Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi has promised the support of traditional and opinion leaders to assist the Ondo State Agency for Control of AIDS and the civil societies to reduce the prevalence of the scourge in the society.
 
Represented by the Edemo of Akure Kingdom, High Chief Victor Fayeun, he maintained that people should engage only in protected sex, ensure abstinence, remain faithful, discard unsterilised sharp objects, unscreened blood transfusion; among others, as part of prevention and intervention to support the cause.
 
At a stakeholders meeting/community dialogue held in Akure, last week, the Secretary to the State Governor and chairman of the agency, Dr. Aderotimi Adelola urged pregnant women in the state to utilise government health facilities in their domain before delivery, so as to access HIV/AIDS services and stem mother to child transmission of the virus.

It also admonished female sex workers in the state to embrace behavioural change and other prevention intervention mechanism put in place by the agency, in partnership with World Bank, aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state to 0.8 per cent.
 
Adelola disclosed that the agency and the World Bank have contracted three civil society organisations-Global Help Trust Foundation, Melville Women Initiative and Kids and Teens Resource Centre, to extend HIV counselling and testing to expectant mothers and the female sex workers in the South Senatorial District.

The Chairman added that at the end of the exercise, about 300 sex workers and 3,600 pregnant women should have been contacted, educated, counseled and tested in the dstrict. He said the global target is that AIDS epidemic must end by 2030; thus to achieve this, attention must be given to the pregnant women, who are carriers of another life, and female sex workers.
 
He insisted that they must be educated on behavioural change,hinging on correct and consistent use of condoms to prevent infection.  Adelola implored Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) to refer pregnant women to the hospital for appropriate medical attention, antinatal care, HIV counseling and testing.
 
He stressed that traditional birth attendants pose a serious threat to eradication of the virus from mother to child.  While soliciting for the cooperation of the traditional rulers, law enforcement agents, religious leaders, health workers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to achieve success in the programme.
 
Chief Executive Officer, Melville Women Initiative, Chief Modupe Adetula, said the programme is driven to achieve zero HIV infection, prevention of mother to child transmission, mobilise women and people of the community to know their HIV status and ensure traditional birth attendants conduct referral for pregnant women.

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