BY BUKOLA BARDI
TODAY IS WORLD AIDS DAY
THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION INTENATIONALLY IS GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND SHARED REAPONSIBILTY WHILE UNITED TO END AIDS IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19 IS ADOPTED BY NIGERIA.
CORRESPONDENT BUKOLA BARDI IN THIS REPORT FINDS OUT HOW THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED.
STATISTICS SHOW THAT OVER TWO MILLION NIGERIANS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR HIV AS OF 2018 WHILE OVER TWENTY THOUSAND RESIDENTS OF ONDO STATE ARE LIVING WITH THE VIRUS WITH OVER ELEVEN THOUSAND ARE CURENTLY UNDERGOING TREATMENT..
EXPERTS SAY EVEN THOUGH THE DISEASE SENDS SHIVERS DOWN THE SPINES OF PEOPLE WHENEVER IT IS MENTIONED, CASES COULD BE REDUCED TO THE BAREST MINIMUM IF NOT ERADICATED..
THIS THEY EMPHASIZED COULD BE ACHIEVED TROUGH ABSTINENCE BY AOOLESCENTS, USE OF CONDOMS BY ADULTS AND FIDELITY IN MARRIAGE.
ANOTHER STEP WHICH EXPERTS HAVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED AGAINST THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IS EARLY DETECTION THROUGH REGULAR TESTING.
BUT IN LINE WITH THIS YEAR THEME ADOPTED BY NIGERIA WHICH IS UNITED TO END AIDS IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19, EMPHASIS IS BEING LAID ON COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ENDING HIV/AIDS JUST LIKE COVID-19 IS BEING TACKLED GLOBALLY.
THE MANAGER, ONDO STATE AGENCY FOR THE CONTROL OF AIDS, ODSACA, DR DAYO ADEGBULU IS ONE OF THE EXPERTS WHO BELIEVE THAT THE CHALLENGE OF HIV/AIDS COULD ACTUALLY BE SURMOUNTED EVEN IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC SUCH AS COVID-19.
DR ADEGBULU URGED GOVERNMENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE MORE COMMITMENT TOWARDS ENDING CASES OF HIV/AIDS IN THE COUNTRY.
HE ALSO ADVISED PARENTS TO ENLIGHTEN THEIR CHILDREN ON THE HIV VIRUS JUST AS THEY TALK TO THEM ABOUT COVID-19.
SOME RESIDENT5 OF ONDO STATE SPEAK ON EFFORTS BEING MADE TO REDUCE CASES OF THE DISEASE
WORLD AIDS DAY IS CELEBRATED ON EVERY FIRST OF DECEMBER TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT THE DISEASE AND RALLY SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH THE CONDITON