EKSACA

Vision

An Ekiti society free of HIV/AIDS and improving the well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)

Mission

• EKSACA is poised with the responsibility of coordinating activities aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the State.
• To facilitate the development and management of policies and strategies for all sectors working on HIV/AIDS related issues for successful execution of the state HIV/AIDS response.
• Provide information and universal access to comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support to guarantee the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS

• To eliminate new HIV infections by 2030
• To ensure that 95% of people living with HIV know their status by 2030
• To eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2030
• To ensure that 95% of PLHIV on treatment achieve viral suppression within one year of start of treatment by 2030.
• To improve access of People living with HIV (PLHIV), vulnerable children (VC), and people affected by HIV/AIDS (PABA) to comprehensive rights-based care.

• Coordinate and plan identified multi – sectorial HIV/AIDS activities of the state response
• Advocate for the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS interventions into all sectors of the society
• Prevention of new infections, and increase access to utilization of HIV counselling, testing, care and support services.
• Facilitate strategic behavioural change and improve knowledge management, treatment and care for persons living with HIV
• Facilitate the development and management of policies and strategies of all sectors working on HIV/AIDS
• Facilitate support and linkages for community HIV/AIDS interventions through the engagement of all LGAs in the state.
• Establish mechanisms to support social and HIV/AIDS research in the state
• Mobilize resources and coordinate its application for HIV/AIDS activities
• Monitor and evaluate all HIV/AIDS activities in the state

What is HIV?

HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS. It can only affect human beings by destroying the body’s immune system, when a person in infected with the virus, after some time, his or her body fluids – such as blood, semen and virginal secretions – will contain HIV and the antibodies (chemicals produced by the body’s immune system or “ soldiers. Of the body”) can no longer resist disease, the infected person becomes sick and is said to have AIDS.

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for ‘’ Acquired immune deficiency Syndrome”. It is the name we give the condition that occurs when HIV has weakened the body’s immune system (the body’s soldiers’’) and a person begins to fall ill, people with AIDS may have different symptoms, Some may lose weight, have prolonged cough or tuberculosis (TB), prolonged diarrhea or skin infections, REMEMER These symptoms also occur in people who do not have AIDS!

How is HIV contracted?

Since HIV is found in body fluids, it can be transmitted when fluid from an Infected person enters the body of another person, this can happen through the following ways?

• Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person,
• Unscreened blood transfusion
• When using unsteriized skin piercing instruments (e.g.) Needles/syringes,
• razor blades, circumcision and other skin piercing instruments)
• From an infected mother to her baby during childbirth or after birth during breast- feeding.

How HIV is not contacted?

HIV is not contracted through causal contract such as sharing clothes, dishes, and toilet seats or through eating together. You cannot be infected with HIV from hugging, shaking hands, touching or being near a person with HIV or AIDS.

Can Mosquitoes transmit HIV the same way they transmit Malaria?

Though Mosquitoes TAKE blood from a person but they do NOT pass the blood they take to another person. The malaria parasite lives in and is transmitted through mosquito’s saliva but HIV is not. Societies have proven conclusively that neither mosquitoes not any other bloodsucking insect can transmit HIV.

Can HIV be transmitted through kissing?

There is no risk of HIV infection if it is a kiss on the check. In the case of a kiss involving saliva exchange, it is unlikely that HIV will be transmitted. Saliva contains very little quantity of the virus and it is believed that a large volume of saliva would be needed to infect someone. But the presence of sores (injuries) in the mouth is like to increase the risk of transmission during kissing.

What are the symptoms of AIDS?

Following an infection with HIV, eventually the person will develop AIDS. Though this may take a long time (years) depending on how strong the person’s immune systems (body’’ soldiers’’) are. At this point, the person will begin to manifest some symptoms described as major and minor, examples includes the following:

• Prolonged diarrhea
• White coating on the tongue (thrush)
• Enlargement of glands in the neck, groin and/ or armpits
• Persistent fever
• Persistent cough
• Skin infections
• Unexplained weight loss

Because these symptoms also characterize other diseases – a persistent cough may tuberculosis, diarrhea may mean intestinal illness – test for the presence of HIV antibodies are the surest ways to determine whether someone has HIV.

How can a person know if he or she has HIV infection or AIDS?

Remember that a person has AIDS, if he of she has begin to suffer from some of the illness associated with HIV infection. However, if the person has HIV infection; he or she is not yet sick; We say that the person is HIV -positive or living with HIV. A person can know that he or she is HIV positive when the person has taken a blood, The body process these antibodies when a virus or other germs infect   it, it usually takes between weeks to six months   after exposure to HIV for a test to detect these antibodies. Most test for HIV antibodies use a small amount of blood although newer tests use other body fluids such as saliva, inner check cells or urine.

If you feel that at some time, you have been at risk of HIV infection, it is a good idea to have a test. If people know that they are HIV positive, they can be careful not to infect other people. They can also take good care of their health and still enjoy a long life.

Who is at risk?

Given the modes of transmission EVERYONE is at risk, however, there are particular behaviors and practices that increase your risk of HIV infection,

Such as:

• Having multiple partners whose HIV status is unknown
• Engaging in unprotected sex
• Sharing skin – piercing or drug injection equipment

To enable you appropriately modify your behavior, you need to assess your level of risk to HIV infection.

How do l assess my risk to HIV?

Put’’ X’’ or tick in the following boxes as appropriates,

• Have l had more than one sexual partner without using a condom?
• Have l had sexual partner who has or has other sexual partners?
• Have l had sex with anyone who has tested positive for HIV without using a condom?
• Have I had sex with anyone without using a condom whose past sexual behavour I don’t know?
• Have I had sex without using a condom?
• Have l had one or more sexual transmitted infections (STIs) (discharge, sores or itching on my genitals)?
• I  did not go to the clinic for proper treatment of the STI,
• Have I had injections partners had blood transfusion?
• Have I had injections or received inclusions from traditional heaters, untrained health personnel or local injections?
• Have I shared any skin piecing instruments with others?
• Do I handle body fluids, including blood without using universal precautions (hand gloves for examples)?

Note:  if you have ticked any of these questions, then you are at risk of being infected with HIV. The more ticks, the greater your risk, do not panic! But do go for counseling at the nearest HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) centre or health facility.

How can people at risk change their behaviors?

Changing behavior and attitude is a process that takes time and effort. You need to recognize the fact that several things help people to make changes they can sustain over a period of time.

Imagine that you have multiple sex partners, and you are reading to change your behaviour, you will have to move through the following stages of behaviour change.

1. from unawareness to awareness: From a state of complete or virtual ignorance, you lean (through the mass media, by reading, or from a health worker) that Sexually Transmitted infections (STIs) exist and are potentially dangerous to your health and that of your partner (s) by causing great discomfort, life- long complications or even death as well as predispose you to acquiring HIV infection.
2. from awareness to concern: Having become aware of their potential danger to your health and that of our loved ones, you wonder if you are at risk and probably even already harboring an STI. You are concerned that those changes you have noticed in your body and or your partner lately which you have hitherto taken for granted may actually be signs of STI.
3. from concern to knowledge and acquisition of skills: Your concern about the possibility of harboring an infection drives you to seek more information about STIs probably from friends/peers or preferably health workers. In the process, you are made to understand the various types of STIs, how they manifest and how to prevent them, as well as where to seek effective treatment. At the end of his stage, you are able to identify the likely presence of an STI in your body.
4. from skill acquisition to motivation: The presence of signs suggestive of STI in your body brings back to your memory everything you have heard about STI and their complications. You so not want any of these to happen to you and you believe there must be other people who are equally at risk of acquiring  STI but who either do not acquire them or do  not develop complications because they practice safer sex or treat their STI promptly. You want to be as smart as them by doing what they do, you will therefore enquire for the location of the nearest clinic where your STI can be effectively treated.
5. from motivation to trial: You will take the bold step of visiting the clinic for the relief of your symptoms. There, your STI is competently diagnosed and drugs prescribed for effective treatment. You are also counseled to take the drugs as prescribed without sharing with anybody get your partner (s) treated to avoid reinfection, and use condoms to prevent new STI if you must engage in further casual sex. You are also counseled to come back at a specified time to ascertain that you have indeed been cured. As a result of your desire to cure your STI and the demonstrated confidence of the clinic staff, you comply fully with all the instructions you were given both in respect of yourself and your partner (s)
6. from trial to success and maintenance: Now you are cured and by virtue of your consistent and proper use of condoms, you have also been infection free for some time now, it is such good news that you share with your friends with whom you have similar risk status for their own benefit too. You are probably also considering reducing your risk status by reducing the number of your sex partners and continuing with the use of condom when casual exposure is unavoidable.

Why are sexually transmitted’’ infections important in HIV prevention?

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are transmitted in the same ways as HIV, STI create small (sometimes even invisible) sores on the genitals, These are openings that may allow HIV to be transmitted from one person to another, They are extremely dangerous, if you have an STI, or think you have, please go to a clinic and have it properly diagnosed and treated. Then notify your sexual partner to be treated also, you must take all the drugs as prescribed by the physician, and begin to use a condom with your partner throughout the period of treatment

How long does it take for someone who is infected with HIV to develop HIV antibodies?

The formation of antibodies seems to depend on the route and frequency of exposure, the amount of virus transmitted and the immune responses of the infected person, for example, antibodies tend to be produced, very early following infection through blood transfusion. It is important to remember that a negative antibody test does not always mean that a person is not infected with HIV. It could mean that the test was some before an infected person developed HIV antibodies, following an exposure, during the window period.

What is the ‘’window period?

The window period is time between infection and production of antibodies to an infection. During this period, the virus cannot be detected with the usual screening techniques, although the virus may be present and can be transmitted. The duration of the period is influence by the load of virus acquired at infection, the route of infection, frequency, the innate ability of the individual to resist infection (otherwise called the immune status), on average, the window periods lasts two weeks to six months. The window period is dangerous because it can give an infected individual a false sense of security if he or she is tested negative, it also places other contracts at risk of infection from this supposedly HIV negative indivisible to repeat negative HIV tests from a reputable source after three months. The results then form basis for further action.

Can AIDS be cured?

There is no cure for AIDS, the defense system continues to weaken as HIV infection advances in the body, however, there are cures for some of the infections that people may suffer from when they have AIDS. These drugs are not a cure for HIV and AIDS, but they can delay the onset of symptoms or death. As for  an HIV  vaccine, there are good prospects that a vaccine will become available  in the near future, until then our best option is to adapt preventive measure to protect oneself and partner from getting infected

How can HIV infection be prevented?

Although there is no vaccine yet that prevent HIV infection scientists are working to develop one. However, there are behaviours we can adopt to prevent infection:

• Practice safe sex: Stick to one faithful uninfected partner; abstain from sex or use condom.
• Ensure you transfuse or receive only screened blood
• Avoid the use of undersized skin-piercing instruments
• Infected mothers should seek advice before pregnancy
• Drug therapy, breast feeding and delivery options may have to be considered

Is it necessary for a couple to use condoms if they are both infected with HIV?

YES, if one or both partners of a married or unmarried couple is/are infected, they should use condoms every time they have sex because:

• They may be infected with different types of the virus and cross infection may result if a not used.
• More viruses can be transmitted which may accelerate the onset of AIDS.

Does an STI increase the risk of HIV infection?

YES, the person who has an STI- such as herpes or syphilis – that results in sores or ulcers is at greater risk of transmitting or contracting HIV, those at risk of acquiring STIs are also at risk of contracting HIV because both are transmitted through the same sexual behavious.

What advice can be given to people Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)?

Person living with HIV and AIDS require information, counseling, care and support. In general they should be advised to:

• Protect themselves against any form of sexually transmitted (STI).
• Avoid passing the information to others through unprotected sexual intercourse.
• Share information about their HIV status with their spouses and those they trust.
• Eat nourishing food and take plenty of rest.
• Seek counseling about pregnancy for the health of both mother and child.

What can you do in your community to help fight HIV/AIDS?

To be a catalyst for change; You must be well informed about HIV/AIDS.

• Avoid behaviours that put you at risk
• Talk to your partner and family members about HIV/AIDS
• Talk to your neighbour and co-workers about HIV/AIDS
• Talk to friends and community members about HIV/AIDS
• Care and support those infected and affected
• Contribute your time and skills to STOP AIDS.

How can the community help People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)?

• Avoid discrimination and stigmatization of PLHWA.
• Respect the rights of PLWHA. Provide care and support to PLWHA
• Ensure that PLWHA fully participate in decisions and activities that affect their lives.

What should PLWHA eat?

• Proteins: to Build and repair the body (e.g. eggs, meat, fish, beans, milk, Soya beans, etc)
• Carbohydrates: to give energy to the body (e.g. rice, yam, cassava, potatoes, corn, bread, etc)
• Fat and oils: to give extra energy to the body (palm oil, butter, etc)
• Vitamins and minerals: To protect the body (e.g. vegetables-   cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, and fruits-bananas, paw-paw, garden egg, etc)

What else can PLWHA do?

• Join a support group
• A support group is an association of PLWHA
• They are here to help and encourage each other
• They fight for the rights of PLWHA
• They know where to get drugs to help PLWHA to stay healthy

Rights of People Living with HIV and AIDS

AIDS is NOT a moral issue it is a developmental challenge. People living with HIV and AIDS have the same fundamental human rights as any person, internationally accepted human rights include:

• The right to live
• The right to shelter
• The right to health care
• The right to freedom of movement
• The right to freedom of speech and expression
• The right to freedom of thought and religion
• The right to education
• The right to protection against discrimination
• The right to dignity

People living with HIV and AIDS should not be discriminated against in the exercise of any of these rights, nor should there be any stigma because a person is infected with HIV or is suffering from AIDS. They deserve to be treated the same way as any other person, Public health educators should be vocal advocates for the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency (EKSACA) is providing this so that you will be better informed about HIV/AIDS, it explains what the disease is, how it is and is not spread and how it can be prevented. One of the best ways to arm yourself against HIV and AIDS is to learn and talk about it, we encourage you to read this and the information with someone else, the more informed people are, the more likely they are to protect themselves and others from infection.

Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency,
Funmilayo Olayinka Women Center, Fajuyi, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.
Email: saca@ekitistate.gov.ng, ekitihivaids@yahoo.com, dcolusegun@yahoo.com

Phone Numbers: 08033203314

Twitter: @Ekiti_SACA

EKSG shall stop HIV transmission, death and discrimination…….EKSACA GM

Ekiti State Government has reiterated its commitment to putting in
place necessary measures to eliminate gender-based violence, stigma
against people living with HIV and AIDS-related deaths in the state.

The General Manager, Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency (EKSACA), Dr.
Charles Doherty made this known during an advocacy visit to the Ekiti
State Health Insurance Scheme (EKHIS) on Free Health Service for the
vulnerable people.

The General Manager who opined that the step would ensure a state
where no one gets infected with a preventable disease or face
discrimination for a health condition, expressed confidence in the
ability of the Biodun Oyebanji-led administration to stop HIV
transmission, death, and discrimination.

Dr Doherty added that the agency would leave no stone unturned towards
achieving the desired results, affirming that the agency has achieved
several milestones in its fight against HIV/AIDS, including
stabilizing the HIV prevalence rate from 1.4% in 2010 to 0.8% in 2019
(NAIIS 2019), increasing the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV)
receiving treatment from less than 3,000 in 2018 to 7,992 as of
September 2022, empowering 109 PLHIV in 2019, supporting PLHIV with
300 bags of palliatives during the COVID-19 lockdown, and distributing
19,000 nose masks, among other achievements.

The General Manager also highlighted some of the challenges facing the
Agency, to include low budgetary allocations, non-release of budgetary
allocations, inadequate technical staff, and the loss of 385 PLHIV
between 2018 and 2022, stressing the urgent need for everyone to work
together to reverse the trend.

Responding, the General Manager, Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme,
Dr. Adetoye Olusanya appreciated the EKSACA team and commended Dr.
Doherty for his efforts to make Ekiti State HIV-free, noting that
25,000 vulnerable people have benefited from the scheme which included
the pregnant women, people living with HIV (PLHIV) and people with
Disabilities (PWDs).

He suggested the establishment of a special facility for vulnerable
people where they would be free of stigma and criticism.

He later encouraged the PLHIV to go and register their NIN because
they wouldn’t be captured without this document, and promised to
provide the necessary support for Ekiti SACA.

Earlier at the meeting, the State Coordinator Network of people living
with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) Mr. Oyewole Oluwafemi appreciated
the GM EKHIS while promising total support from them when needed and
getting across to them the necessary data from his people.

EKSACA to eliminate new HIV infections by 2030. – Dr. Doherty

Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency (EKSACA) is poised at making the state
zero prevalence of HIV/AIDS and eliminate new infections by 2030.

The General Manager of the agency, Dr Charles Doherty revealed this
during an advocacy visit to the State Head of Service, Barrister
Bamidele Agbede in his office in Ado Ekiti.

Dr Doherty said that, for his agency to achieve the 2030 target, all
relevant government agencies at all levels must strengthen their
monitoring efforts and as well work together to address the challenges
facing EKSACA.

According to the General Manager, EKSACA has achieved several
milestones in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including the stabilization
of its prevalence rate from 1.4% in 2010 to 0.8% in 2019, increase in
the number of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) receiving treatment from
3000 in 2019 to 7,992 in September 2022.

He highlighted further that 109 PLWHIV were empowered in 2019 for self
dependency, while 300 packs of palliatives and 19,000 nose masks were
distributed to them during covid 19 lockdown among other achievements.

Dr Doherty however enumerated some of the challenges facing the agency
to include low budgetary allocation, non-release of funds, inadequate
technical/professional staff and the loss of 385 PLWHIV between 2018
and 2022.

While soliciting the support of the Head of Service to rise up in the
aid of the agency, the General Manager appealed to all stakeholders to
work together to overcome the negative trends.

Responding, Ekiti State Head of Service, Barr, Bamidele Agbede
commended the efforts put in place by EKSACA team at making the state
HIV/AIDS-free, with a promise to provide necessary support for
attaining the set target.

While assuring the agency of proper briefing to the governor on their
activities and challenges, Barr. Agbede stressed that sustained
efforts and collaboration of all relevant agencies of government would
help to eliminate the challenges being faced by EKSACA.

EKSACA Calls for NGO’s Support to End Stigmatization Among the Key Populations.

The General Manager of Ekiti State AIDS Control Agency EKSACA, Dr.
Charles Doherty has called for collaboration and synergy between his
Agency and Adolescent Friendly Research Initiative and Care (ADOLFRIC)
Centre in the State with a view to linking the Key Population to its
One Shop Health Centre.

The EKSACA Boss who made the call during an advocacy visit to ADOLFRIC
Centre in Ado said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that Key
populations are well cared for to enhance a harmonious society.

Dr. Doherty who commended the leadership of the center for its
effectiveness said there is a need to Integrate the Key Population(KP)
into the one-stop adolescents’ health facility so they can be linked
together and be free of stigmatism.

The SACA boss explained that the KP group which include commercial sex
workers, drug addicts and others have a high risk of contracting the
HIV/AIDS virus and spreading it to their partners.

Dr. Doherty who stressed the need for the HIV response stakeholders in
the state to go into research in order to harmonize, document, and
publish the works and the achievements recorded in the state,
emphasized that they should be sensitized and given the needed
orientation and care.

Responding, the Chief Executive Officer of the Organisation, Dr.
Babatunde Olofinbiyi said the center was established for adolescents
aged 10-24 for the purpose of giving Nigerian adolescents freedom of
expression and not discreetness.

He also said that the center was established to ensure that
adolescents are educated and informed on ways to go about accessing
sexual and reproductive health information without fear.
He added that his organisation is presently working on research to
showcase its work both locally and internationally.

Also Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of Access to
Health and Rights Development Initiative (AHRDI), Mr. Peter Emmanuel
advised that attention should not only based on testing and treatment
of the KP group but should be rehabilitated, brought back to the
social strata of the society and empowered economically.

He said that stigmatization should be eradicated in order to give them
a voice and sense of belonging in society.

ECEWS trains One Stop Shop Staff, others on Sexual Diversity and Prep
Service Provision.

As part of government efforts to eliminate new HIV infection by 2030,
the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) in
collaboration with Ekiti State Government has organized a one week
training for the Staff of one-stop-shop, key Populations, and Prep
Service providers in Ado Ekiti.

In his opening remarks while declaring the training open, the General
Manager of SACA, Dr.Charles Doherty explained that EKSACA has achieved
several milestones in its fight against HIV/AIDS, including
stabilizing the HIV prevalence rate from 1.4% in 2010 to 0.8% in 2019
(NAIIS 2019), increasing the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV)
receiving treatment from less than 3, 000 in 2018 to more than 8000 as
at 2022.
The General Manager also found the training necessary considering the
relationship between the Key Populations, KPs, Stigma, and Gender
Based Violence, GBV with HIV.

In her Goodwill message, the Associate Director of KP/HTS(key
Population/ HIV Testing Services) of Excellence Community Education
Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), Mrs. Grace Jimbo said her organisation is a
leading indigenous, volunteer-based non – Profit Organization
established in 2001 with the aim of improving access to qualitative
Healthcare, Education, and Economic Strengthening for Nigeria’s most
vulnerable population.

Mrs Jimbo who explained that ECEWS, with its headquarters in Uyo, Akwa
Ibom State and its corporate office and 10 other branches in Abuja and
across the country, has been providing community-based development
services in the areas of education and health for more than 20 years
in Nigeria, which is made possible through collaborations with
National and International multi-lateral development agencies
including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(USCDP) Global Fund, UNDTB, USAID/KNCV, UNICEF, Oando Foundation,
UNPFA, to mention a few.

She stressed that the training was aimed at promoting inclusive
healthcare for all individuals, regardless of their sexual
orientation, gender identity, or any other factor, and providing staff
with the necessary tools to sensitively and effectively serve the
diversed needs of all patients.

Participants were taught about Perp medication, and as well trained on
other key Population services, such as mental health support,
reproductive health services, and general healthcare needs.

The training was led by a team of experts in the field of key
Population healthcare, who shared their knowledge and experience with
attendees.

The participants who were drawn from the state Ministry of Health,
Primary Health Care Development Agency, One Stop Shop staff, Key
Population service providers, Police, Human Right Commission, and
other related stakeholders, were engaged in interactive sessions and
practical exercises that helped them to understand the concept of
diversity in healthcare.

Participants at the event appreciated the ECEWS and Ekiti State
government for organizing the training and pledged to make better use
of the knowledge acquired during the training.

NACA/SACA Team, Facilitates Domestication and Implementation of
HIV/AIDS Activities in Ekiti State

In alignment with the Ekiti State Government’s resolute commitment to
eradicating HIV/AIDS by the year 2030, the collaborative efforts of
the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Ekiti State
AIDS Control Agency (EKSACA) have taken center stage. Their joint
mission revolves around the vital domestication and meticulous
implementation of pivotal activities pertaining to HIV/AIDS,
orchestrated in partnership with an array of stakeholders.

During the inauguration, Dr. Rufus Adetoye, the General Manager of
EKSACA, extended a gracious welcome to the visiting NACA team from
Abuja.
He accentuated the pressing need for fortified communication channels
between SACA and NACA, particularly with regard to resource
mobilization and funding.
Dr. Adetoye articulated a concern that he had not been fully apprised
of the ongoing efforts.

In response, Mrs. Rasidat Jogbojogbo, the accomplished Assistant Chief
Program Officer who spearheaded the NACA delegation, eloquently
emphasized the indispensable role of local sponsorship in financing
comprehensive HIV/AIDS responses within the state. She astutely
highlighted the prevailing phenomenon of donor fatigue that has cast a
shadow over HIV/AIDS implementation efforts.
In light of this, Mrs. Jogbojogbo underscored the urgent imperative
for NACA to bolster the agency’s capacity to take the lead within the
state.

With resolute conviction, Mrs. Jogbojogbo implored the various
implementing partners to rally behind SACA in its commendable endeavor
to mobilize funds and resources. Moreover, she passionately exhorted
the state coordinators to actively engage political leaders, thereby
securing substantial domestic funding for HIV/AIDS initiatives. Madam
Rasidat underscored that achieving the ambitious 2030 targets hinges
upon a concerted symphony of heightened coordination and proactive
planning among all invested stakeholders.

Amidst the event’s discourse, Matron Folami, the esteemed HIV Testing
and Services (HTS) Officer of EKSACA, put forth a strategic
recommendation. She advocated that NACA ought to champion the HIV/AIDS
cause on the national stage in Abuja, while the state undertakes the
mantle of its own localized advocacy efforts, ultimately steering
towards the triumphant realization of the set objectives.
Echoing this sentiment, Mrs. Ilesanmi from the Ministry of Health
proposed a structured approach. She suggested that SACA orchestrate
monthly meetings with stakeholders, fostering an environment of
consistent and effective coordination. Furthermore, she underscored
the critical importance of meticulous data documentation.

In a harmonious culmination, stakeholders of diverse affiliations
reached a unanimous accord. They resolved to forge an unyielding
unity, diligently implementing the outlined recommendations and
strategic initiatives. Through this concerted dedication, they
envision an augmented, all-encompassing response to the complex
challenges posed by HIV/AIDS within the realm of Ekiti State.