By Bassey Ekaette

To commemorate 2020 World AIDs Day, the Centre for Population Health Initiatives-Nigeria (CPHI-Nigeria) located in Lagos and Rivers states, held a week-long activity to provide services to the Nigerian vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Below are the activities planned for the commemoration:

• Cervical cancer screening.
• World AIDs Day celebration session.
• Hepatitis B vaccination.

World AIDs Day commemoration

The world AIDS day commemoration was held on Dec 1st, 2020, with Participants across Nigeria, who visited the center to learn, received medical services, played beneficial health games, and won prizes.

This activity was held to commemorate lives lost to HIV and the progress made in controlling the epidemic. Dr. Nonso Madueke, the center’s medical officer, highlighted the focus of the year’s World AIDs Day theme, “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact,” which focused on creating global solidarity among people who live with HIV and seek to destigmatize the health issue.

Cervical cancer screening

Cervical cancer screening and treatment were held for all females who visited the center. The cervical cancer screening was held from Monday, Nov 30th till Thurs, Dec 3rd, 2020.

Hepatitis vaccination

Hepatitis B prevalence in Nigeria is 8.1% based on the recent Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) report. Screening and vaccinating the Nigerian populations to help protect individuals from being infected. The exercise also afforded individuals to gain access to treatment with our partner organizations.  To commemorate 2020 World Hepatitis Day, the CPHI-Nigeria, collaborated with Emzor Pharmaceuticals to provide free hepatitis B screening and vaccination at a subsidized rate.

Vanguard News Nigeria