Why there should be continuous sexual
education, preventive aid provision in IDPs across Nigeria
Just like
the Siamese twins and burning like wild
harmattan fire, is the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS infection across Nigeria.
There is no
way one of the two most dreaded acronyms in modern medicine can be talked about
without mentioning the other. This is because the dependent nature of HIV, one of the twin acronyms on its
degenerated state is what brings
forth AIDS.
The rate at
which the HIV/AIDS is spreading
across camps hosting Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Nigeria calls for urgent and adequate attention in
order to curb the menace and save vulnerable populations.
The up rise
of insurgency in Northeastern parts
of Nigeria has contributed to the upsurge in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) with an estimated 2
million persons out of their homes
in their own country.
The
migration of IDPs to seek shelter at
in makeshift and informal camps makes them vulnerable to all sorts of ailments, especially making them susceptible to HIV infections.
The vulnerability of an average woman or girl living in an IDP settlement is
predisposed to HIV/AIDS infection due to her exposure to a risky environment
and factors such as sexual and gender-based violence/rape, exploitation, social
instability and poverty, among many others.
In spite of
their vulnerability, there is a difficulty in accessing HIV/AIDS prevention,
treatment and care services in many camps.
Currently an agency of the federal government
of Nigeria known as the National Agency for the Control AIDS (NACA) primarily coordinates the implementation of Health
Counselling and Test (HCT) outreach in three states in the Northeastern zone of
Nigeria.
NACA is focusing on 14 camps across the three
states of Adamawa, where it has 5
camps; Borno, where it has 4 camps; and Yobe, where it has 5 camps.
In all of these 14 camps, NACA
provides incentives
such as clothes, food items, and toiletries to enhance improved living and hygienic standards.
Although the government may be trying its best through NACA, there is a
need to promote HIV prevention in IDP camps through the provision of minimum
prevention package intervention.
This could be better
carried out through the combination prevention approach, such as the provision
of condoms, both male and females, for those who cannot abstain from sexual
relations; regular provision/ supply of ARTs to the camps to be taken by those
who are already infected, occasional testing and screening at the camp, and
incorporation of sexual education.
Such educational
approach to HIV prevention will do well to
emphasize on the ABC of HIV, which
encompasses A-abstenance, B-being faithful to one partner if one is
sexually active, C-condomization for those who cannot abstain or stay faithful
to a partner, as well as and the
utmost D, which is death due to
HIV/AIDS infection, if one refuses to take into cognisance the negative effects
of HIV/AIDS.
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