Anambra State Launches Committee to Enhance HIV Services

The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), in collaboration with the Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNI), inaugurated a committee aimed at strengthening the HIV response in the state. The committee's primary objective is to enhance access to prevention, treatment, care, and harm-reduction services for communities particularly vulnerable to HIV infection.

The inauguration took place during a community dialogue that included representatives from security agencies, health institutions, government, community-based organizations, and key population networks. Dr Nkem Okeke, the Executive Director and Project Manager of ANSACA, emphasized the importance of a coordinated, evidence-based approach to HIV interventions, urging security agencies to recognize the public health aspect of these efforts.

He also called on health institutions to consider the security environment in which services are provided. The committee is tasked with improving collaboration among stakeholders and is part of broader efforts to ensure that populations facing barriers to healthcare can access essential HIV services, with a goal of achieving zero new HIV infections by 2030.