World Aids Day: Experts seek more community leadership to spearhead response

Experts at the commemoration of the world aids day celebration are exploring the full potential of community leadership as part of efforts to bring an end to the aids scourge.

People living with the disease believe that this will enable more awareness and treatment because reaching and involving communities in the response remains key in tackling the epidemic.

This year, experts believe that interventions reaching people in communities is what will make all the difference in the HIV and aids response in the country.

Elizabeth has worked with people living with HIV for many years within her community, she finds new infections, encourages them to get tested and treated.

Experts in the HIV response like Elizabeth say they will continue to push to the last mile in order to end the epidemic.

They begin with spreading the awareness through this almost 5km walk through the streets of the nation’s capital.

The walk rounds off at the venue of the main event that will kick start the process of more interventions for the HIV aids response in the country.

This is being promoted through the launch of some national documents that will improve the HIV response in the country.

Nigeria accounts for the second largest HIV prevalence globally with 1.8 million people estimated to be living with the disease, out of this number 1.63m of them are on anti-retroviral therapy.

Communities connect people with person-centred public health services, build trust, monitor the implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable.