World AIDS Day is commemorated every year on December 1 to raise global awareness about HIV/AIDS. It serves an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and show their support for people living with HIV. Remarkably, year 2018 makes it the 30th anniversary and the theme for year 2018 “Know Your Status” is a call for people to get tested and treated for HIV.
ARFH joined national partners in the fight against HIV, On Saturday, December 1, 2018 led by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to visit Kuchingoro IDP camp, Abuja to donate relief items and conduct HIV counselling testing to internally displaced persons in the camp.
Mrs Pauline Tallen, Chairman, NACA Governing Board flag-offed the event and hosting the official hand out of relief items to the camp officials. She said, “The most important thing in Nigeria’s HIV response agenda is for all citizens to know their status. If people don’t know their HIV statuses, we’re in the dark. “So, with a loud voice, we’re calling on every Nigerian to submit himself or herself to get tested for HIV so as to know whether they are positive or negative to the virus. “The good news is that for those who are HIV positive, the government has enough drugs and plans in place to support and treat the affected for free. HIV is no longer a killer disease. You can get treated and live a normal life.”