On Wednesday, November 20th 2013, the President/CEO of ARFH Prof O.A Ladipo, on behalf of the Board of Trustees welcomed the Chair and members of House of Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on their visit to ARFH as part of their oversight function to formulate effective legislative measures for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In attendance to receive the Committee members were the Director of Programs, Mrs. Kehinde Osinowo, Director of Finance & Admin, Mr. Joseph Majiyagbe and other staff members.
According to the Chair of the Committee Hon. Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu, the visit was informed by the need for the committee to familiarize themselves with the Global Fund Projects that ARFH is implementing, resources available and challenges if any. The chairman further stated that the visit was ‘a spot assessment visit’ and acknowledged the need for government ownership rather than total dependence on donor agencies for funding of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria programs in Nigeria. Hon. Kigbu also said that the House will continue to work with stakeholders to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria on Nigerians. He expressed the committee’s
commitment to working on the anti-stigma bill and the provision of treatment to persons living HIV (PLHIV). Dr. Kigbu noted that ‘We must work assiduously in areas of HIV campaigns and reach out to members of the public and private sector through sustained advocacy’,The interactive session witnessed presentation by ARFH’s Director of Programs Mrs. Kehinde Osinowo, Dr. Gabriel Akang from NTBLCP and Dr. Mrs. Uzuegbunam from the Family Life Health Education Project (FLHE) with Federal Ministry of Education.
High point of the occasion was visit the to ARFH/Global Fund supported TB and HIV Project intervention sites at Wuse General Hospital Abuja and a community-based Comprehensive OVC intervention programme at Gui Village, within Abuja Municipal Council (AMAC).
