By DESPITE the seeming perception of a diminishing spread of HIV/AIDS with the advent of new viruses, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has warned that the scourge remains dangerous to humans, is incurable, and still prevalent in Nigeria.
At an event to commemorate the 2024 World AIDS Day in Agbor, Delta State, the federal agency held a sensitisation programme to create awareness of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and measures for its prevention and control.
Organised in collaboration with Gilbert Hill Foundation, the programme had the theme: “Take the right paths: My health, my right.”
The exercise
Warning against the belief that the dangers of HIV/AIDS are diminishing, Dr Usama Ejiro of Delta State Ministry of Health said HIV/AIDS remains a dangerous and life-threatening disease that is still actively spreading in communities.
However, she noted that the spread could be prevented and controlled through enlightenment campaigns, safety measures, and proper health management control.
Dr Ejiro said the need for individuals to understand their health status has become very necessary as that would help them to know their health condition.
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Also speaking at the occasion, Delta State’s representative at the commission, Mrs Irene Emowodia, said the essence of the awareness campaign was to educate the people on the need to know their health status.
“The HIV/AIDS sensitisation exercise is in line with the vision to eradicate the spread of the deadly disease in society,” she said.
Mrs Emowodia pledged that the NDDC will continue to prioritise the welfare of the people in the region by ensuring that they live and enjoy a conducive, healthy, and safe region.
In her remarks, Mrs Grace Alekwe of the Department of Community Health, Ika South Local Government Council, who spoke on the advantages of family planning and birth control in society, told participants at the programme to understand the need for child spacing and birth control in a modern society.
The sensitisation programme was followed by a free medical test exercise on HIV/AIDS and was part of the commission’s efforts to carry out community sensitisation and screening exercises in the Niger Delta region.
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