By Sani Idris
The Kaduna State Aids Control Agency (KADSACA), on Saturday trained no fewer than 65 Adolescent and Young Persons (AYP) living with AIDS on various skills to commemorate the World AIDS Day 2024 (WAD).
The theme of the years’ WAD is “Sustain HIV response, stop HIV among children to end AIDS in Nigeria”.
The skills acquired by the beneficiaries include the production of vaseline; ointment, Izal, shampoo, dettol and liquid soap.
Hauwa Ahmad, the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Focal Person at the Primary Health Care Centre, Unguan Rimi, highlighted the importance of empowering AYPs living with AIDS with relevant skills.
Ahmad explained that the training was aimed at equipping the AYPs with the necessary skills to become self-reliant and confident in their abilities.
She emphasised that the skills acquired would enable them to generate income and improve their livelihoods.
The Focal Person said the agency’s initiative is geared towards promoting the well-being and economic empowerment of AYPs living with AIDS in Kaduna State.
At the sideline, she disclosed that the total number of the AYPs who access their treatment at the facility were 281 living with AIDS.
Ahmad said the gathering was also aimed at sensitising them on strict adhere to their drugs; have peer-to-peer counseling, advice and building their self-esteem.
“When they started coming to the facility and discovered they are not the only ones who are HIV positive, it built their self-esteem with help of the support group,”she said.
Garba Saidu (Not real name), the Coordinator for AYPs living with AIDS in Primary Health Care Centre, Unguan Rimi, said he became the Coordinator in 2022.
From 2022 to date, he stated that they have achieved the triple 95 (95-95-95).
He explained that the 95s stands for the percentage of viral load suppression; people knowing their status, and taking their drugs which has all reached the 95 per cent in Unguan Rimi, Kaduna North LGA of the state.
Saidu said he was able to reorient his AYP support group on various notions and hear says regarding HIV/AIDS which had transformed and changed his groups negative mentality and ideas about the disease through the use of games, music and dance, among other.
“As adolescent and young persons, through this, they become relaxed and tell us their problems. With the support group, all of them are virally suppressed to the virus,”he said.
One of the participant, Lado Amos (16), (not real name), said the training gave him another opportunity to interact with other young persons living with HIV/AIDS.
“We are not alone in this struggle. The training has built my self-esteem, and I am now more confident to face the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS. I urge other organisations to emulate KADSACA’s initiative and support young persons living with HIV/AIDS to acquire skills and become self-reliant,”he said
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that WAD commemoration was supported by UNICEF, FHI 360 and AYPIN.
NAN also reports that UNICEF established the AYP Support Group in 2017 so that young people living with HIV may connect with their peers to share stories, spark new ideas, and gain insight into how to live fulfilling lives despite their HIV status.(NAN)
