World Aids Day 2012/ National Youth Council of Nigeria/Amuwo-Odofin Chapter
As part of activities marking this year’s World AIDs Day, youths in Amuwo –Odofin today organized a road walk to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS scourge and the status of the pandemic.
In an interview with Shout-Africa correspondent in FESTAC town in Lagos, the Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, the Chairman of the National Youth Council, Amuwo–Odofin chapter, organizers of the programme, Comrade Oluwafemi Ilesomi, said the walk was to sensitize members of the public about the reality of HIV/AIDs and the need for everyone to know their HIV status.
Comrade Ilesomi said that knowing ones status was necessary so that people who were already infected would seek medical advice, while those not yet infected would ensure they remain uninfected.
Addressing the youths, a volunteer medical practitioner at the Health Centre in the council, Dr. Tunji Odutola, advised the youths to abstain from pre-marital sex.
“It is possible for someone to eat his tomorrow today but if you want a tomorrow, make sure how you live your today is right, and one of the ways to do that is to avoid sexual intercourse with the opposite sex today. HIV is Human Immune Virus, while AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It has been in existences until scientists gave it the name, so the best thing to do is to obey the world of God, avoid sexual intercourse until you are married”.
Dr. Odutola urged the youths to avoid sharing unsterilized and sharp objects such as needles and razor blades, as well as transfusion of unscreened blood.
Some students at the forum who expressed their satisfaction for the programme said they were better informed of the scourge.
They commended the organizers of the event for taking the initiative to educate them on the dangers associated with the dreaded disease.
A non-Governmental organization, the Society for Family Health and sponsors of the programme, conducted free HIV screening, counseling and distributed condoms to participants.
Between 2011-2015, World AIDS Days will have the theme of “Getting to zero: zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths”.
The World AIDS Campaign focus on “Zero AIDS related deaths” signifies a push towards greater access to treatment for all; a call for governments to act now. It is a call to honor promises like the Abuja declaration and for African governments to at least hit targets for domestic spending on health and HIV – By Shout-Africa Correspondent Chinyere Ogbonna
