The Abia State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS has trained 58 secondary schools in the state’s three senatorial districts on the latest pandemic prevention techniques.
The agency’s director general, Uloaku Emma-Ukaegbu, announced this to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital, adding that teachers were supposed to teach others.
Her words: “We’ve trained secondary school teachers, youth leaders, ward development committee members, and religious leaders among others.”
“Nobody is left out in this effort. Everybody is identifying their place and what role they can play to help combat or eradicate it from the state before the donor agencies exit.”
She stated that the strategies include eliminating terminology or language that instill fear in those living with HIV/AIDS with those that inspire hope, as well as avoiding stigmatization and discrimination against them.
Emma-Ukaegbu added that the organisation believes that if the current trajectory is maintained, HIV/AIDS will be a thing of the past in the state.
According to her, the rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state used to be as high as 5.1 percent, but it is now 2.1 percent, and 1.4 percent nationwide.
“And a whole lot is being done. A few years back, we didn’t do as much as we’re doing now. Steadily and slowly, we’re getting there,” the director general added.