The People of Akuro Community in Popoyemoja area of Ibadan South West Local Government in Oyo State have been admonished to pay good attention to their health and make use of the opportunity of the free HIV/AIDS test provided by Aids Prevention in Nigeria (APIN) in conjunction with Living Word Mission (LIWOM) and the state government to live healthy life.
The admonition was given by Gbadebo Macaulay, a Prevention Control Officer of APIN, at the Akuro Primary Health Center, Akuro area, Ibadan,
Speaking on the excercise which had free HIV test for people from age 17 to 24 and above, Macaulay urged the people of the area to cooperate and support efforts of government in curbing the menace of HIV/AIDS disease by making use of the opportunity of the free text and treatment provided for them.
According to him, the programme has free vocation training for people from ages 15 and above and it is aimed at empowering them to be responsible and better people in life, adding that it will in turn reduce the high rate of sexual violence and other related crime in our society.
“The programme is a sensitization exercise on reproductive system, and free HiV test for people from age 17 to 24 and above, also, free protection items will be given to them.
“There is going to be free vocation training skills for the said age bracket in order to make them a better people in life. Some of the skills include tailoring, confectionery, computer education, coding, life skills among others.
“This will in turn help to address and reduce sexual violence among people of this age bracket, drug abuse in our society, and other forms of crime. The objective of the programme is to create awareness on their health status and mode of prevention, especially from sexually transmitted diseases and infection.”
Macaulay described the turn out and responses of the people of the area as very impressive adding that parents were happy to release their children for the exercise while they too are cooperating with the Akuro Primary Health Care Center to achieve success.
Macaulay who disclosed that the exercise will be extended to other local governments in the state, said people who test positive will be referred to health care facility for confirmatory test in which they will be given free care service.
A staff of Living Word Mission, Faith Ekpen noted that the first edition of the exercise was held at the Living Word Mission with encouraging turn out of the people.
One of the beneficiaries, Fatimah Musediq, age 19 who spoke on behalf of others described the excercise as a welcome development just as she commended APIN/ LIWOM and the state government for the free health exercise.
She said the response and attendance was very encouraging, just as she appealed to the young people to take advantage of the free exercise to know their health status.
