ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, YENAGOA
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has emphasised the need for aggressive HIV advocacy by the media to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state.
Diri stated this yesterday when he declared open the ongoing HIV Media Advocacy and Social Behaviour Change Communication skills workshop in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
Represented by his wife, Dr Gloria Diri, the governor commended the National Agency for the Control of AIDS for bringing the workshop to Bayelsa.
He assured the agency that the state would continue to provide a conducive environment for it and other stakeholders to operate.
He promised that the state government would ensure the completion of the permanent office of the BYSACA to provide a conducive environment in rendering services to HIV-positive persons in the state.
Also speaking at the event, Southsouth Coordinator, NACA, Dr Uduak Daniel noted that the six states in the region have high HIV prevalence.
The development, she said, necessitated the need to collaborate with the media by setting up advocacy platforms as a strategy in the fight against the epidemic.
Daniel said on her assumption, she immediately swung into action and embarked on the spot assessment of the offices of SACA.
She said the challenges facing the offices were that operations of the agency were not followed by laws constituting them as well as issues of poor funding and non-release of budgetary funds.
She stressed the need to build the capacity of journalists for them to effectively involve advocacy in their different media channels which formed the crux of organizing the workshop.
Daniel said the zonal office of NACA would hold an award ceremony to recognize prospective stakeholders’ efforts.
Also, Chief of Party, John Hopkins Programme for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Mr Emmanuel Atuma, maintained that the training was essential.
He explained that the capacity enhancement exercise would consolidate the gains made so far in the control of HIV, noting that the media was a powerful and veritable tool in the fight against the epidemic.
He said that strengthening media capacity would go a long way in bringing about the desired change in behaviour which saw JHPIEGO introducing what is called, ‘Choice collaboration’.
The collaboration involves JHPIEGO and FHI-360, a Non-Governmental Organisation working together to bring about the needed required change towards reducing the HIV burden in the country.