The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has launched a campus-based HIV prevention and support programme across 27 tertiary institutions in the state, targeting adolescents and young people with intensified awareness, prevention and support services.
The initiative, known as the Tertiary Institutions HIV Action Network (TIHAN), was unveiled during the inauguration of two HIV focal persons from each participating institution, comprising a representative of the school authority and a student representative.
The participating institutions include universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, colleges of nursing and schools of nursing, covering government, private and mission-owned establishments.
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Under the programme, each institution will establish a campus HIV action committee comprising students drawn from different departments and academic levels.
The Executive Director of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr Nkem Okeke explained that it would train and formally inaugurate the committees to ensure that their activities were conducted in line with professional and ethical standards.
The agency said the campus-based structure would strengthen Anambra’s broader HIV response by introducing a tertiary institution-level intervention to complement existing programmes at the national, state, local government and ward levels.
Dr Okeke stressed that prioritising adolescents and young people was essential to sustaining HIV prevention efforts and protecting future generations.
“If we are able to secure this age group, it means that we have secured the elderly population, the coming future generations and those coming up,” the Executive Director stated.
The agency also acknowledged the support of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, noting that his administration’s renewed commitment to HIV prevention had strengthened its capacity to expand interventions across the state.
With the inauguration of the focal persons, ANSACA is expected to commence the next phase of establishing and strengthening campus HIV action structures across the 27 participating institutions.
