Anambra state First Lady, Nonye Soludo, has empowered women living with HIV with equipment and financial assistance to support their livelihoods and promote economic independence.
The beneficiaries, members of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Anambra State Chapter, received the support to enable them to engage in income-generating activities and improve their living conditions.
The intervention is also expected to help address some of the socioeconomic challenges affecting women living with HIV, including poverty, stigma and social exclusion.
Speaking during the engagement in Awka, the Executive Director of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr Nkem Okeke, commended Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for providing leadership and an enabling environment for strengthening the state’s HIV response.
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Okeke also commended Nonye Soludo for her commitment to the welfare and empowerment of vulnerable women across the state, describing the support as an intervention that goes beyond medical treatment.
He disclosed that ANSACA was working towards establishing a dedicated Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Centre for women living with HIV.
According to him, the proposed centre will provide practical training in fashion designing, baking and other income-generating skills to enable beneficiaries to develop sustainable livelihoods.
Okeke said HIV care should extend beyond access to treatment to include interventions that address economic vulnerability, stigma and social exclusion.
“Our goal is not only to ensure that people living with HIV have access to treatment, but also that they are empowered to live healthy, productive and economically independent lives,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the equipment and financial assistance, saying the support would help them improve their livelihoods and achieve greater economic independence.
The ANSACA executive director assured NEPWHAN of the agency’s continued partnership in efforts to improve the welfare and quality of life of people living with HIV in Anambra.
The development reinforces the need for HIV programmes to combine access to treatment with economic empowerment and social support to improve the wellbeing and dignity of people living with HIV while reducing the effects of stigma and poverty.
