The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, has commended the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) for the progress recorded less than five months after the assumption of office of its Executive Director, Dr. Nkem Okeke.
Mefor gave the commendation in Awka during the unveiling of ANSACA’s maiden newsletter and telehealth service, describing the agency’s renewed activities as evidence that it was moving in the right direction.
He said Governor Chukwuma Soludo was a leader of exceptional capacity whose administration had continued to pay attention to every segment of society, including vulnerable populations.
According to him, the revival of ANSACA and the appointment of Dr. Okeke reflected the governor’s commitment to addressing the needs of people who are often overlooked.
Speaking on the challenge of HIV-related stigma, Mefor, a psychologist, said fear, stigma and loss of hope could be as damaging as the virus itself.
He stressed that HIV was no longer a death sentence, urging residents to embrace early testing and treatment, while continuing to avoid risky behaviours.
Mefor also linked ANSACA’s new telecare platform to the state government’s broader telemedicine initiative, saying the innovation would expand access to specialist healthcare across the state.
He said Anambra’s health reforms had continued to attract national recognition, adding that the telemedicine system would enable residents to access specialist medical attention from primary healthcare facilities.
“Even if there is no doctor in your facility, you will now have a doctor through telemedicine,” he said.
The commissioner further said the initiative was consistent with Soludo’s broader vision of transforming Anambra beyond physical infrastructure to include character development and value reorientation.
He explained that the renaming of the ministry to the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation reflected the administration’s effort to restore authentic Anambra values and contribute to the development of a smart and prosperous state.
In his remark, the Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said the unveiling was not merely about introducing telephone numbers and a publication, but about bridging the gap between information and action, as well as connecting communities with life-saving services.
Okeke disclosed that since April, the agency had tested more than 2,500 people through community, motor park, workplace and tertiary institution outreaches.
He also said Anambra had become the only state in Nigeria with Ward Action Committees on AIDS (WACA), as well as Campus AIDS Control Committees (CACA) in tertiary institutions.
The event was held under the theme, “Harnessing Digital Innovation to Strengthen the HIV Response: Bridging Communities and Advancing Health in Anambra State.”
