Cross River State Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS has acquired more than three million condoms for distribution at the Christmas Carnival village in Calabar.
The
Director-General of the agency, Dr. Irene Aniyom, told the News Agency
of Nigeria at the village in Calabar on Sunday that the measure was to
create more awareness on HIV and check the prevalence level.
She
explained that the youths were targeted in the distribution of condom
because they were the active participants at the annual carnival.
She added that SACA and her partners would also offer free counselling and test on the scourge during the 32-day event.
Aniyom
advised youths against using the festival as avenue for sexual
activities, warning that “even if they should indulge in such practice,
they should ensure that they use condom”.
She said Calabar South Local Government Area and Calabar Municipality Local Government had the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence.
She said 244,106 persons in the state were currently living with the HIV and AIDS.
She
advised tourists and fun seekers patronising the festival village to
avail themselves of the free counseling and test offered by the agency
during the period.
“There
is the need for people to take advantage of the testing and counselling
to know their HIV status. This will enable them to control their
excesses,” she said.
The
SACA boss stated that Cross River was one of the states in the country
that was making conscious effort to tackle HIV and AIDS.
“Gov
Liyel Imoke is the Chairman of SACA in our state and he had done so
much in supporting the agency. Whatever achievement we have made, we owe
it to him,” she said.
Punch Nigeria
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