Ogun Trained 40 Peer Educators on HIV/AIDS

Worried by the low level of knowledge about the prevalence of Human Immuno Virus(HIV) in Ogun State, the state government has trained about 40 personnel drawn from schools across the state as peer educators.

This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, during the dissemination of the state Epidemiological and Sexual Behavioural fact-sheet, held in Abeokuta, on Tuesday.

Soyinka said that the fight against the HIV scourge remained the collective responsibilities of all residents in the state.

He said efforts were on to ensure that the State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA) becomes an agency, so that it can access loans from international donor agencies to fight the scourge and to enlighten the people on the killer disease.

The commissioner said that the knowledge about HIV was higher among urban dwellers with 18 per cent than rural dwellers with 6 per cent.

The State Programme Manager, Mrs Foluke Omoworare, noted that the knowledge of HIV was higher among male with 14 per cent and 13 per cent in female group.

The state manager, said about 3.6 per cent of the population in the state had positive attitudes towards people living with HIV.

Mrs Omoworare stated that using the United Nations Joint Programme for HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS) indicator, a person must be believed to have accepted attitude towards people living with HIV if, "he/she agrees to buy food stuff from a positive person."

"If he/she agrees that a teacher living with HIV should be allowed to teach, if he/ she agrees not to keep it secret that a relative is positive".

Mrs Omoworare said that for a person to have accurate knowledge of HIV prevention using UNAIDS prevention indicators, said that a person must know that healthy looking people can also be infected.

She also added that the person must reject the two most common misconception of HIV transmission.

The manager, noted that in 2011, the distribution of new HIV infections recorded in the state was estimated to be the highest among the low-risk heterosexual group at 45 per cent which are the couples.

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