The Medical Service of Ogun State Police Command on Wednesday joined the World Aids Day, as they moved round Abeokuta, the State Capital to senitize and enlightened residents as well as members of the public on danger associated with the silent killer virus.
Penpushing reports that, the medical team led by Dr Minachiso Ihegboro were seen in major parts of the town, which include motor parks, markets, vendors stands, public and private institutions and schools among others, emphasisng needs for residents to still be aware of existence of the disease.
The team also invited and encouraged residents to come to Police Cottage Hospital, located within the premises of Zone 2, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, for free test to enable them know their health status, and as part of efforts to curb contact or spread of the virus, distributed free condoms to residents.
Penpushing further reports that, the Nigeria Police Action Committee on Aids(PACA) said in compliance with the theme, ‘End Inequalities: End Aids Through Sustainable Financing’, also featured free HIV counseling, free HIV testing and Health Talk on HIV/AIDS
The team leader, while speaking with journalists said Police Action Committee Against AIDS (PACA) was out to remind people that HIV/AIDS is still out there and they should be careful and follow the normal procedure of abstinence and using protection.
Penpushing also reports that, Ihegboro who is a Chief Superintendent of Police pointed out said should always get themselves protected when having sex, and take away their minds away from existence of Hiv, in view of the emergence of coronavirus
‘Today we are doing free testing for people who wants to volunteer for testing. The Police Action Committee Against AIDS (PACA) are the one handling this sensitization. We are here to remind people that HIV/AIDS is still out there and so they should be careful and they should follow the normal procedure of abstinence and using protection’, he said.
‘The number we recorded last year and this year as reduced and so we don’t want people to relapse. People should always get their selves tested and protected when having sex. People should not concentrate on Covid-19 alone they should remember there are other health challenges ravaging the whole world like HIV/ AIDS. Despite Covid-19, HIV and AIDS is still with us’, he emphasised.
‘In the police we have what we call Police Action Committee Against AIDS (PACA) it is a unit set aside in the medical department of the Nigerian Police Medical services to always fight against the disease, from Monday to Sunday the program is on, the testing, counseling and medication and support groups’
Penpushing reports that, the Medical Officer in charge of Police Clinic, Dr Adedokun Ishola in his remarks, noted that the day was set aside globally to sensitize the public to get tested, to know their status and that they can do what is appropriate when they have done the test.
‘Nigeria has not won the battle over HIV/AIDS, we just use today to sensitize the public but even in our normal practice, Monday to Friday, 24 hours hospital service we still step up our operations on HIV/AIDS, we get people tested, even for our antenatal care, when pregnant women come to clinics for pregnancy care or pregnancy related conditions part of the things we do, part of the investigations we do is to get them tested for HIV/AIDS, we just set aside today to make public announcement’, he explained.
‘In this our part of the country because I have worked in the North, there it is 1 in 20 pregnant women but here 1-15 pregnant women test positive to HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of this HIV is actually much in some states, for instance it is more common in Benue State probably because of their lifestyle and the kind of things they do there’, Ishola said
‘Today is set aside to sensitize the public, that we are doing this testing, for today the test is free but other days you are going to pay for it, if the government can increase funding into the health sector so that this test can be free any time of the day, it doesn’t have to be a particular date of the year, it should be free’.
‘It is to have more advocacy to people that are already living with the condition because another problem we have in this environment in Nigeria generally is stigmatization, some people don’t want to get tested because they would be stigmatized, they are afraid of knowing their result, some people are living risky life and they are afraid that if they get tested it may turn out to be positive and they are afraid of being tested’, he noted.
‘Our challenges is, ordinarily when you get to the clinic you are supposed to be counseled, your consent supposed to be taken before your undergo the testing and if you don’t give consent then you won’t be tested, sometimes people fail to give consent for the testing’.
‘There are some bodies that are providing this drugs for them for free, one of them is PEPFA, so when we test an individual and he turns out to be positive, the next thing we do send them to the appropriate centers where they can get treatment for it and the drugs there for free’.
‘It is just that people are afraid of knowing their status, they are afraid of stigma. There should also be more public enlightenment to educate people proper about HIV/AIDS, it is perfectly manageable’, he emphaised
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