By Stephen Adeleye.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria is set to celebrate International Condom Day (ICD) with a call to action: “Just Use It!”
The event aims to promote condom use and HIV prevention, amidst rising STI rates worldwide.
Mr Steve Aborishade, Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, disclosed this in a statement made available to Journalists on Wednesday in Lokoja.
According to the statement, AHF Nigeria will host ICD celebrations in Akwa, Anambra state on Feb. 12,, and at the University of Abuja, Faculty of Media and Communications Study on Feb. 13.
The events will feature free condom distribution, condom awareness activities, and HIV testing.
“Condoms are cheap, effective, and proven, yet too often people can’t get them or face stigma for using them.
“Governments must step up domestic health financing and remove barriers to access, ensuring condoms are freely and widely available,”said Martin Matabishi, AHF Africa Bureau Chief.
Dr Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD), emphasized the importance of condom use: “Using condoms is the best way and most cost-effective method to prevent HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.”
The ICD celebration aims to raise awareness about the importance of condom use in preventing HIV and STIs, and to promote access to condoms and HIV testing services.
Since 2011, AHF Nigeria has conducted over 2.5 million HIV tests, distributed 27 million condoms, and trained over 2,058 government health workers.
The organization operates 153 comprehensive and decentralized HIV clinics across seven states.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2.8 million people in 50 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe.
We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world.
