NACA urges states to increase HIV/ AIDS media awareness campaigns

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has enjoined states to increase their HIV/AIDS media awareness campaign. A statement from the agency yesterday said the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, NACA, Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, made the call when she led a delegation on a visit to Lagos.

She said state-owned media in particular were key vehicles in delivering HIV prevention messages.

“Nigeria’s HIV epidemic still remains a major public health challenge, going by the large number of people estimated to be living with the virus in the country. Providing factual information on the disease burden is key to ensuring many more people do not contract the virus,” she said in the statement.

Mrs Aderibigbe told the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, that the visit was aimed at pleading with relevant authorities to partner LSACA to ensure consistent HIV prevention messages saturate the public space.

Mrs Aderibigbe encouraged state-owned media organizations to give discounted rates on all HIV related messages, saying that donor funding that was used in the past to promote HIV prevention awareness campaign was dwindling. She said the need for ownership and sustainability could not be over emphasized if Nigeria must fight AIDS to finish by 2030.