[procaare] New VCT centres in Nigeria

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New VCT centres in Nigeria
- AIDS Update, Nigeria, 05-12-03
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Mr. Peter Lamptey, President, FHI Institutes for HIV/AIDS tours FHI-supported VCT Centre
at Salvation Army, Lagos Nigeria, reports Godwin Kihodu

As part of its efforts to contribute to the reduction of the transmission and impact of
the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the US-based non-governmental organization, Family Health
International (FHI), is to establish about 20 HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Test
(VCT) Centres in Nigeria.

Mr. Peter Lamptey, President of the FHI Institutes for HIV/AIDS, who is presently on a
working visit to the country, dropped this hint in Lagos on May 12, 2003 while inspecting
an FHI-supported VCT centre operated by the Salvation Army in the Central Business
District on Lagos Island, Nigeria.

He said the organization?s plan is to provide the VCT centres to reduce the distances that
people have to travel to get VCT in order to make the service more easily accessible, and
to make the service faster.

At present, FHI has two centres in Nigeria; one in Lagos, the other in Kano, in Northern
Nigeria. Lamptey explained that FHI?s plan to support so many VCT centres is informed
partly by the thinking that unless the distance a prospective user has to cover to get VCT
service and the amount of time spent at the facility are considerably shorter, many people
will not avail themselves of the service in spite of its being essential.

?When people are sick, they will be willing to wait for a long period to get services, but
when they only need services for preventive purposes, they cannot wait; then the services
have to be very fast. We have realized this and we are trying to make the services as fast
as possible,? he said.

The FHI president explained that the benefits derivable from VCT include HIV status
awareness, which enables people to make adequate plans in accordance with their status.

As the visitor explained, people who are aware of their being HIV positive in time have
the opportunity of planning how to manage the situation by having the necessary medication
to prevent the rapid development of AIDS, the end stage of infection with HIV, and by so
doing increase their lifespan.

On the other hand, he added, it is reinforcement for those who find they are not infected
with the AIDS virus, and they can plan to remain free of the infection by being very
careful not to engage in high risk behaviours such as unprotected casual sex, sharing of
invasive instruments and use of unscreened blood.

?Unfortunately, most people who have HIV go to the hospital when they are dying. That
could be rather too late to save them. We can have tuberculosis, which is one of the
complications, treated early or other opportunistic infections like pneumonia treated
early as well, which can prolong their lives, and then have antiretroviral?? he said.

According to Lamptey, VCT is one of the most important tools available for the promotion
of behaviour change and getting people who are infected to know their status, plan their
lives and be able to access cares, particularly antiretroviral drugs, where they are
available.

He said this noble cause is, however, not an easy one, and advised government and other
donor agencies to consider joining the effort to establish enough VCT facilities for the
benefit of Nigerians.

Mr. Lamptey?s visit is to enable him see and assess the impact of the FHI programme in
Nigeria?Implementing AIDS Care and Treatment (IMPACT)?get briefings from the field staff
and review progress made so far, and then make recommendations for changes where
necessary.

FHI, which has been in Nigeria since the 1980s went into HIV/AIDS prevention and control
in the early 1990s with AIDSCAP?the AIDS Prevention and Control Project, which gave way to
IMPACT in 1998.

(Courtesy, AIDS UPDATE, published by Media Resource and Advocacy Centre, Development
Communications Network, Nigeria.)

Cross-posted from the Nigeria-AIDS eForum
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