By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo
AKWA-IBOM state government yesterday said it has received a total of eleven thousand six hundred and eighty (11,680) Orphans and Vulnerable Children, (OVC) presently under its care and protection.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Glory Edet disclosed this during a meeting of United States Agency for International Development USAID, with OVC stakeholders held on Friday in Uyo the state capital.

Edet who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Mrs. Cecelia Inyang said the OVC were formerly handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare on June 12, 2015 by Association for Reproductive and Family Health, ARFH.

She specially expressed appreciation to USAID and all the intervention partners for their financial and technical support to the vulnerable children in Akwa Ibom state adding that all hands must be on deck to check the growing and unfortunate army of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the society.

“The Ministry of Women Affairs has battled the growing OVC problem in Akwa Ibom since 2007. Every child has the right to receive basic education, basic health, basic nutrition services and legal protection among others as building blocks on which our nation’s future lies.

“So together, let us secure a bright future for our children through providing integrated care and support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Akwa Ibom government remains committed to this noble project and will ensure that personnel will be made available for the exercise.”

In her remarks Dr. Susan Coleman, Director HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis said the USAID team was in the state to introduce its new project Local Partners for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (LOPIN-REGION1) aimed at identifying children and orphans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

She added that the local partners initiative which would run from 2015-2019 would target about 100, 000 HIV/AIDS affected children and orphans in the state.