Imo State Government has reached a decision to adopt multi-facet approach in the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the State.
This was disclosed during the inauguration of the Critical Mass Committee (CMC) of State Agency on Control of AIDS (SACA) at the Ministry of Information, Owerri.
Speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Goddy Dike observed that despite campaigns launched to educate people on the dreaded disease, many still engage in practices that expose them to the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. He pointed out that homosexuality and other forms of indecent life style has continued to pose a major setback in the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS and called on parents to inculcate good morals in their children.
Mr. Dike revealed that plans were on to reintroduce the cinema system of public enlightenment as critical mass campaign strategy especially at the grassroots. He further said that the state government has given approval for provision of public enlightenment buses to ensure coverage of the twenty seven (27) Local Government Areas of the State. He therefore gave assurance that the Ministry will scale up campaign on HIV/AIDS.
In his keynote address, the chairman of Critical Mass Committee in the Ministry of Information, Chief J.O. Korie expressed the committee’s readiness to spread the message to all nooks and crannies of the State. He therefore appealed to the press to assist in the campaign to reduce HIV prevalence in the State.
The Director General, State Agency on Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr. E.O. Anyanwu and the Coordinator of the programme in the Ministry, Pastor Ngoka respectively maintained that HIV/AIDS has remained one of the major issues of concern in the health sector as no known cure has been discovered and called for collaborative effort in the campaign to stop the spread of the disease.
Dr. Anyanwu further spoke on the need for state ownership of the programme through direct funding to ensure sustainability of the programme.
