The Anambra State Government has intensified its grassroots HIV prevention and intervention efforts, with more than 10,000 people tested as part of its renewed commitment to ending HIV by 2030.
The Executive Director/Project Manager of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA), Dr Nkem Okeke, disclosed this while receiving the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Attorney General of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) and her team during a courtesy visit.
Dr Okeke said the state was strengthening its HIV response through community sensitisation, testing, stakeholder engagement and targeted interventions, with a deliberate focus on bringing essential services closer to residents.
He explained that Anambra’s strategy aligned with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, which seek to ensure that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Highlighting the agency’s grassroots mobilisation efforts, Okeke disclosed that approximately 1,965 community-based personnel had been mobilised to support HIV awareness and interventions across the state’s wards.
He said the initiative was designed to ensure that accurate information and essential HIV services reach communities directly, making it easier for residents to access testing, prevention and treatment.
The ANSACA boss also disclosed that Campus Action Committees on AIDS (CACA) had been established across 27 tertiary institutions in the state to provide platforms for students to participate actively in HIV awareness and prevention activities.
He acknowledged the support of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, noting that the agency’s progress and expanding intervention programmes had been strengthened by the governor’s commitment to improving the state’s HIV response.
According to him, the government’s backing has created an enabling environment for ANSACA to deepen community engagement, expand testing and pursue its HIV elimination targets.
Okeke urged young people to embrace leadership and social responsibility by becoming advocates for HIV prevention, challenging stigma and promoting positive behavioural change within their institutions and communities.
He also expressed the agency’s readiness to collaborate with student organisations, youth groups and other stakeholders to expand HIV awareness, strengthen prevention efforts and improve access to essential services.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to achieving an HIV-free Anambra by 2030, he said the goal remained a major priority in line with Governor Soludo’s vision of building a healthier and more productive population.
He urged the visiting students to use their positions and influence to contribute meaningfully to the state’s HIV response, stressing that ending HIV required collective commitment, active participation and sustained action at all levels of society.
