Posted on: Tue 16-11-2021

Sad that only 53 percent of Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) positive children are presently receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) out of the 150,000 new HIV infections among children aged 0-14 years reported in 2019 globally, plans to reach out to the 47 percent that are not yet on treatment, were said to have been put in place by the Center for Initiative and Development (DFID).

The Chief Executive Officer  of the Center, Danjuma Adda,  who stated this at a three day workshop organized for volunteers from some selected communities in three out of the sixteen local government councils of Taraba state,  said the Center will not go to bed pending when all the HIV positive children are placed on treatment. 

Set to achieve its desired goals , strategies that will assist the Center  

 identify such  children and their  caregivers living with the virus but not  on treatment in the  state, according to him , has been put in place. 

Danjuma Adda,  who also doubles as the President, World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), said the Center has concluded plans to diagnose 80 percent caregivers and 90 percent of children living with HIV "who are yet to be identified." 

The aforementioned processes,  he said will be executed "through targeted screening, home based screening and community outreaches in all target locations in the state before the end of the project cycle " which according to him is slated for 2024.

The training which our correspondent noticed to have been tagged " closing the gap in retention in HIV care among children living with HIV and their caregivers in Taraba state", he said will as well lead to the diagnosing and support retention in HIV care. 

The Center, as also made  known by him, will tread every legitimate paths to achieve it mapped out plans, stating that plans to  conduct targeted capacity building for health workers and community volunteers which includes people living with HIV to deliver "stigma free and friendly HIV care services in all target locations in the state by 2024" are also in the pipeline. 

Sad that children are not able to access HIV services directly because they are not taken to the facilities , the center through the project , he said "is going to identify children and caregivers living with HIV not on treatment , enroll and support them to remain in care through differentiated models, including mental health services to achieve viral load suppression.

While urging the volunteers not to leave any stone unturned in creating awareness and sensitizing parents and wards on the need to always take their children and ward for HIV testing, the virus according to him , "is not death sentence , it is like any other disease"

Some of the volunteers who spoke with our correspondent said their decision to avail themselves for the exercise has become necessary because the communities , as made known by them was underserved .

 The exercise which our correspondent noticed to have been organized by the Center,  with support from ViiV Positive Action, brought together volunteers who reiterated their determinations not to go to bed pending when children and caregivers not yet on treatment are tested,  counsel and convinced to as a matter of urgency begin to access treatment. 

By Charles Akpeji 

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