UNICEF in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government counselled and conducted tests for 159, 306 youths on HIV in Jema’a Local Government Area (LGA) between 2016 and 2018.
Mrs Binta Yem, the Coordinator, Local Action Committee on AIDS in the council, disclosed this to newsmen in Kafanchan on Monday.
She said more than 20,776 of the youth are now aware of their HIV status.
Yem said that 40,967 pregnant and nursing mothers also benefited from the exercise.
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She said the facilitators reached out to the youth under the Adolescent and Young Persons (AYPs) project.
She said that AYP is a UNICEF-supported programme, designed to scale-up the combination of HIV prevention, treatment and care services for AYPs in the state.
During one of the sessions, Awal Usman, an 11-year-old student from Government Junior Secondary School, Kafanchan, described the AYPs’ initiative as a very encouraging programme.
Usman, who was tested along with other students under the programme, expressed joy when he tested negative to HIV.
Mohammed Bashir, 20, who also tested negative, commended UNICEF and the state government for making HIV services accessible in every nook and cranny of the local government area under the AYPs programme.
“I have always wanted to know my HIV status but I found it difficult to go to the hospital. I am so happy that the state government and UNICEF had decided to bring the service to my door step, and I got tested in just a few minutes.
Now that I had tested negative, I will do all that I can to remain negative,” Bashir said.
Some of the people living with HIV and AIDS in the area expressed satisfaction with the quality of service rendered by UNICEF and the state government.
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One of them, Ana Danladi, 23, said that the quality of HIV test at the Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, was impressive.
“I came to the facility for drugs and counselling and was attended to within 15 minutes. I am very satisfied with the quality of service.
I urge the state government and its partner to provide entertainment facilities in the HIV-friendly centres across the state for people living with HIV/AIDS.’’
He said that at present, the HIV-friendly centre located at Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, Kafanchan, lacked entertainment facilities.
“The support group, with more than 20 members, meets every month to share their experience, encourage and support one another. The meetings are usually boring due to lack of entertainment facilities.
We need some facilities such as a big television screen to watch movies, home theatres that will be playing music.
We also need sporting facilities such as volley ball, table tennis and ludo games to entertain ourselves while we are here.”
Similarly, 19-year-old Salama Asake, expressed satisfaction with the quality of services rendered by the team at the centre.
“It took me just 15 minutes’ drive from my house to the centre and the health officers were nice. What we really need now are facilities to entertain us while we are at the centre.”
Also, some pregnant and nursing mothers commended the quality of services at the Family Health Unit of the Primary Healthcare Centre in Kafanchan.
They said it would help to prevent Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) cases.
A pregnant mother who tested HIV positive said that she got most of the services that she needed as soon as she arrived at the facility.
She said, “ I usually come here for antenatal care; accessing services like blood pressure check, weight, HIV drugs and counselling.’’
She added that the centre usually educated her on good nutritional practice, sanitation and hygiene.
She added that the centre used to give her necessary household practices that would ensure that her unborn child would lead a healthy life on delivery.
“I am truly happy with the quality of HIV and other health services at the facility,” she said.
Mrs Magdalene Namiji, a nursing mother who tested negative to the virus, said that the information and the quality services at the facility would help all the participants to live a better life.(NAN)