ONDO State government has promised to vigorously prosecute a law making it compulsory for hoteliers to put condoms in their rooms as part of its fight against the spread of the HIV/Aids virus.
Keen to be in the vanguard of the fight against the virus, the Ondo State government has introduced by-laws making it a severe offence for hoteliers not to put condom packs in their rooms. In addition, the state screened over 800,000 residents for the virus and is encouraging residents to know their HIV status.
Yesterday, the secretary to the state government and the chairman of the Ondo State Agency for the Control of Aids (Odsaca), Dr Aderotimi Adelola, said the administration is working towards ensuring there is zero HIV new infection in Ondo State. He added that the government is also working to combat discrimination and the stigmatisation of people living with HIV and to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions.
Speaking during a condom use and safer sex sensitisation exercise in Akure, as part of activities commemorating the 2015 World Aids Day, Dr Adelola stated that the agency had embarked on consistent HIV counselling and testing in all nooks and crannies of the state. He added that it has also worked on the expansion of HIV counselling and testing centres from three on assumption of office to about 230 presently.
According to Dr Adelola, Odsaca, with the support of other stakeholders is implementing strategic action plans in order to promote behavioural change and to ensure care and support for people living with the virus. He said civil society organisations have also been contracted to increase HIV awareness at different strata of the society and this has been very productive as it amounts to very high behavioural change, adherence to preventive intervention mechanism among female sex workers and other most at risk groups.
Across Ondo State, over 500 personnel have also been trained to further assist in the campaign against the spread of the virus in urban and rural areas. Odsaca's project manager Dr Adedayo Adegbulu, noted that HIV is not a death sentence, adding that as such, care and support must be given to people living with the virus.
He said the state has acquired sophisticated machines and put in hospitals across the state to get accurate analysis and screening of the virus. In addition, Dr Adegbulu pointed out that with HIV education now being inculcated in the secondary school curriculum, the youth will be encouraged to abstain and the government will increase their awareness about HIV and advice them to further spread the campaign in the homes and among peers.
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