SFH seeks end to HIV/AIDS by 2025

The Society for Family Health has expressed optimism that HIV/AIDS will end in Nigeria by 2025.

The Managing Director of SFH, Dr. Omokhudu Idogho, in an interview with The PUNCH, stressed the need for more work in the promotion of HIV self-testing through the media and community structures.

Idogho said this during the dissemination of market research on ‘Addressing barriers to HIV self-testing in the Private sector among young sexually active females and males in Nigeria: A human-centred design framework to developing private sector HIVST demand creation, distribution, and linkage models.’

Among the findings of the research, he said, was the fact that young people were eager to be able to access HIV self-testing at their own discretion.

The programme, held in Abuja was organised by the SFH in collaboration with Population Service International and Busara Centre for International Economics.

Idogho said, “For us as an organisation, the Society for Family Health, we have been in this HIV space for 40 years. I think we are actually at an extraordinarily exciting time because we are actually seeing the possibility of HIV becoming what we call ending aids.

“The mantra is by 2030 but I even see Nigeria, with the trajectory we are now, ending it by 2025 if all partners continue to work the way we are working.”

The Technical Learning Advisor for the Strengthening of HIV Self-testing in the Private Sector Project, Boluwatife Adesina, said, “One of the key findings was that awareness for HIV self-testing “is low and that has affected the demand for it, and that was a key finding coming from both the end-users and both the supply side.

“The project started in November 2020 and like you know for every key research it goes through a process. So, I will say the research has been from November 2020 down to October.”

By Friday Olokor

https://punchng.com/sfh-seeks-end-to-hiv-aids-by-2025/