CALABAR– The Director General of Cross River State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (SACA) Dr Etcheri Ansa and her Board of Directors have expressed satisfaction with the efforts of Local Government Coordinators of the institutions of the agency for sustaining the fight against HIV/AIDS at the grassroot level.
Speaking while addressing the forum of Coordinators of Local Government Committee on AIDS (LACA) in Calabar the State Capital, Dr Ansa said the synergy between the State and Local committee was necessary for the needed success in the management of HIV/AIDS. She called on Coordinators to maintain same zeal as the society battles yet another pandemic, Corona virus, which poses another serious danger on people living with HIV/AIDS.
“I want to thank you and applaud LACA coordinators who have come from far and the commitment you all have put so far. Because we still have much work to do, I therefore Charge you all to give in your best by putting in more effort to enable us achieve results. I am not interested in bearing just the name ‘DG’, but am very passionate about People living with HIV/AIDS.
She further reiterated that the fear instilled on people as a result of COVID-19 is what is mostly responsible for most deaths as people due to fear can die even before they contract the virus.
According to the DG, SACA/LACA must be responsive for HIV/AIDS coordination, noting that the synergy and strategy requires effective organization of people or groups for cohesive delivery of interventions services, equally emphasizing the Importance of creating and reaching the network goals of their action plan. She called for greater transparency, capacity transfer, team-work and insisted that testing be done at three (3) months interval rather than six months.
The meeting which was aimed at strengthening the working relationship of SACA and LACA and by creating a way forward for effective administration, had the following as the Forum’s Objectives;
✓ Providing a platform for the review of the response efforts of SACA and LACA towards an effective and comprehensive coordination of HIV/AIDS response in the LGAs.
✓ To Obtain names, location, and focus areas of existing community structure participating in HIV/AIDS response in LGAs
✓ Obtaining completed data of details of HIV/AIDS indicators
✓ To get feedback on the functionality of LGA response.
While presenting the closing remarks, Engr Ntem Chris, one of the Board Directors of SACA charged all the LACA Coordinators on prompt Data collection and reportage.
He said a situation where number of positive cases are at variance with number of patients who come to access drugs was not healthy and should be avoided. Engr. Ntem expressed confidence in the DG, while assuring all to expect a tremendous turn around in SACA.
Highpoints of the meeting, It was unanimously agreed;
* That LACA meets regularly so as to respond effectively to emerging local issues.
* Coordinators of LACA were also charged to develop knowledge on the program and effective data management at their level.
* Stakeholders were also requested to develop a Comprehensive list of community structures, while LGA LACA coordinators were to carry out quarterly presentation of their activities in future engagements.
