NACA Launches HIV Media Advocacy Platform

In continuation of efforts to create more awareness on HIV/AIDS, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has  launched a national HIV media advocacy platform.
The platform, which, among others, comprises media representatives from different states of the country, and head of public relations unit and zonal coordinators of NACA, is expected to also focus on the ways media report HIV/AIDS in the country.
Inaugurating the platform, the Director General (DG)  of the NACA, Dr GamboAliyu, said, “the platform is expected to create more awareness  on HIV, and also change the way the media reports it, using the best approach”.
The Director General who was represented at the occasion by the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Raheem Mohammed, said the media was a critical stakeholder in the agency’s partnership efforts towards getting messages across to the public, and hence ending the epidemic by 2030.
“Media involvement, engagement and support is key in HIV  response to ensure synergy in what the media reports and what NACA does”, he said.
According to him, NACA “is concentrating on building media capacity because it is a powerful tool in catalysing change at individual, community and policy levels.
“NACA’s vision in the National HIV strategic framework is for Nigeria to be a nation of people with functional knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
“The Agency is focused on increasing visibility of the HIV responses by steadfastly strengthening the strategic partnerships among stakeholders at all levels.
 ”We are concentrating on building media’s capacity as a powerful tool to catalyse change at individual, community and policy levels. Ours is to equip them and see how essential it is that all populations are well informed and knowledgeable about the risks of HIV infection, prevention, treatment and care for ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Nigeria,” the NACA boss said.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chief of Party, Johns Hopkins” Programme for International Education in Gyncology (Jhpiego), Emmanuel Atuma, said the platform was expected to be a rallying point that would shape discussion on HIV, and continually keep it on the front burner.
He said the training workshop was deliberately tailored for the media as an important move towards consolidating on the value of institutional partnerships, as well as collaboration with the mass media to ensure that the media became significantly involved in the forefront of HIV and AIDS response in Nigeria.
“The current National HIV strategic framework recognises that strengthening the use of social media platforms and traditional media to communicate a health promotion agenda is vitally important. Media is a strategic ally in the fight to end HIV/AIDS in Nigeria”, he stated, adding that “training journalists and setting up of HIV advocacy platform at the national level is therefore an excellent initiative by NACA”.
He continued that, “the media is strategically positioned to promote safer behaviour by challenging the norms, values and culture that fuel risky behaviour, if they are well informed.
“This  four-day training will additionally equip the media with skills in designing effective change programmes, developing stories that create impact, as well as advocacy skills –how they can maximise the power of the media as an advocacy agent to catalyse social change and influence HIV related policies,” he said.
DrAliyu also used the opportunity to inform participants that President MuhammaduBuhari would launch  a national trust fund on HIV before the end of this year.
He said the trust fund would help lift the heavy burden on the government for domestic funding and ownership of the HIV response.
“We have gotten the commitment of all those that matter in the private sector for the trust fund,” he said.
The workshop, which was held  in Lagos, was in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego).

By: Sogbeba Dokubo