From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, (AHF), Nigeria, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, (NACA), and the United Nations Population Fund Nigeria (UNFPA), has commenced plans for a Twitter-Space discussion that will promote safe sex among adolescents in the country.
In a statement made available by the Advocacy & Marketing Manager AHF Nigeria, Steve Aborisade, the discussion is part of activities “the lively in-person and virtual commemorative “Always in Fashion” ICD events organized throughout the 45 country teams, Nigeria inclusive, to mark the year 2023 International Condom Day, (ICD) and highlight the importance of condoms in helping people take control of their health through.
AHF Nigeria Country Programmes Director, Dr. Echey Ijezie, said it discovered that knowledge about HIV and STI prevention among adolescent was generally low, hence there was need to educate them about the importance of practicing safe sex and by extension, ensure the commodity is easily accessible to the population.”
AHF, while nothing that condom use has impacted the global HIV/AIDS response by averting an estimated 117 million new HIV infections since 1990, with close to half in Sub-Saharan Africa and more than one-third in Asia and the Pacific, however, lamented that millions of people globally are still without access to condoms due to many reasons across various parts of the world.
AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy, Terri Ford, noted with displeasure that people who want to prevent HIV, other STIs and unplanned pregnancies are challenged by widespread condom stockouts, shortages, harmful taxation, and unaffordable prices.
He assured that “AHF has put condoms and STI prevention at the top of our global priorities to intensify our efforts to get condoms to people throughout our 45 country teams despite the many existing barriers.”
He expressed the belief that with more than 1 million STIs acquired daily across the globe and the world falling woefully short on HIV prevention goals in 2021, the tide can be turned by ensuring that people access condoms wherever they live as it remain the most affordable way to prevent HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.
Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, (NACA), Gambo Aliyu, who stressed the need for strengthened age and context-specific programming in the adolescent population.
Aliyu said given the rate of new HIV infections among young people aged 15 to 24 years, it was imperative to ensure condom option is made available as a preventive measure to youths and people of reproductive age who may not abstain from sex.
