Group Solicits Support For HIV Prevention

Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria has called on Nigerians to work concertedly towards the preventions of HIV infection.

The Rivers State Coordinator of the body, Mr. Dennis Otobo who stated this while speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt yesterday regretted that scant attention was paid towards preventing the infection.

Mr. Otobo and his group, who were on courtesy visit to some places in Port Harcourt to mark The World’s AIDS Day, lamented the discrimination against the people living with HIV/AIDS, and pointed out that a large chunk of the fight against the infection was carried out by Non-Governmental Organisations.

He urged people to encourage those living with HIV rather than stigmatizing them.

According to him, the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Zero New Infection, Zero Stigma, Zero Death.”

The coordinator noted that the theme was modified by the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan to “Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission.”

He noted that the elimination of Mother-to-Child transmission would foreclose the transmission of HIV to unborn children by HIV positive mothers.

Also speaking, Rev. Luke, one of the coordinators of the body, urged the Rivers State Government to remit funds towards the fight against HIV/AIDS.

He noted that the state had done much in the area of treatment but had paid little attention in the area of prevention.

Another person who spoke at the gathering, Kelechi Okorije also called on government to be concerned with the prevention of HIV/AIDS instead of restricting itself to the treatment of the infection.

She also called on government agencies to do more towards prevention of the disease and regretted that access to these agencies and ministries were not easy.

Chidi Enyie/Evelyn Samuel