WAD : FCT Public Health Dept Renders Free Malaria, HIV/AIDS Screening

The FCT Public Health Department, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has embarked on free testing of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDs across communities in the Territory as part of activities to mark World AIDs day.

At the flag-off of the event in Lugbe Abuja, the Programme Manager for the Control of HIV/AIDS, in the FCT, Dr Doris John said the initiative is part of the FCT’s sensitization and advocacy program aimed at giving hope to people living with the virus by emphasizing that being infected is not a death sentence.

Dr. John explained that the commemoration is an annual event while the test was to enable people to know their status and assist indigent people to get access to care to prevent avoidable deaths.

In her words, “the theme for this year, overcoming distraction, we know that there are some distractions here and there, but being who we are as Nigerians, we are not going to let that deter us, we are not going to allow that make us lose the gains we have gained in HIV response in FCT. ”

Also speaking at the occasion, the FCT regional manager Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria Tangkat Hosle, noted that the organization had been collaborating with other stakeholders across the FCT to ensure the sustainability of HIV/AIDS interventions aimed at reducing the spread of the virus and combating stigma against those already infected.

According to Hosle, the programme is aimed at celebrating the success they have achieved on HIV/AIDS in FCT particularly.

“This year’s theme helps to evaluate our strategies also focusing on sustaining the care for HIV AIDS across the FCT.”

“We want to push up for control, by sensitizing, people around them and to also overcoming stigmatization”.

On his part, the FCT NEPWAN President, Mr. Peter Ikiti encouraged those infected to start treatment to stop the virus from destroying their immune system.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji