CALABAR–The Cross River State Agency for the Control of AIDS (CR-SACA) has inaugurated a 14-member Media Advocacy Action Committee in it’s determination to promote and create more awareness and achieve greater attention to HIV/AIDS-related matters in the State.
Speaking while inaugurating the Cross River State Media Advocacy Action Committee, the Director General of the State’s Agency for the Control of Aids Dr. Etcheri-Ella Ansa revealed that the inauguration of the Media Advocacy Team will help create awareness and encourage more attention to issues of HIV/AIDS.
“This team will help educate the public about the reason to fight stigmatization, encourage the masses to know their status, infected persons will also be encouraged to take drugs to reduce the Viral Load and also help in the reduction of Mother to Child Transmission” she added.
Also speaking at the virtual inauguration, the Deputy Director, South South Zone of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Uduak Daniels said the setting up of the HIV & AIDS Media Advocacy Platform was a move towards consolidating on the value of institutional partnerships and collaboration with media practitioners/professionals. The Media advocacy think tank is aimed at ensuring that the Media becomes significantly involved in the forefront of HIV/AIDS education, social mobilization, and advocacy to bring about sustainable behaviour and social change in the South-South zone.
Pledging support for CR-SACA in a Goodwill message, the State Team Lead of Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) Project Nigeria, Mr Donald Akpenna, stated that the organization was in support of the setting up of HIV Media Advocacy Team in Cross River State.
He said RISE as one of the Implementing Partners, is proud to be associated with the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) and would work with the Media Advocacy team to achieve greater results in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the State.
In another Goodwill message, Dr. Grace Essien of the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research, Nigeria (CCCRN), stated that with her Organization enrolling about 46,638 beneficiaries into the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Programme, it has also supported Cross River State in the translation of the Anti-stigma Law into Efik language, with the official handing over of printed copies of translated work coming up soon.
Dr. Essien reassured CR-SACA that CCCRN as a non-profit organization will continue to promote best practices in health care delivery, medical training and research using locally-adapted models of health systems strengthening in the State and beyond.
The Media Advocacy Committee, which is made up of thorough-bred professionals, is ably led by Roseline Irek, Director of Orientation at the Ministry of Information and Orientation. Other members includes; Benson White of News Agency of Nigeria; Oka Ibor of Nigerian Chronicle; Frank Odey of Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC); Odey Alenyor of NTA, Iwara Iwara of Hit FM and Publisher of Calitown.com; Kingsley Agim, Publisher of Cross River Mirror who is to serve as Secretary of the Committee, FAD FM’s Tina Akpeke; Efio-Ita Nyok of Negroid Haven, Joshua of Sparkling FM, Maria Ewa of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN, Helen Brand of CORRECT FM, Frank Ulom, Editor-In-Chief of PARADISE News, and Ofem Jesam, a burgeoning online media expert.
