The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Gambo Aliyu, has enjoined Nigerians to increase demand for HIV testing and treatment services.
He made the call yesterday in Abuja during a two-day training workshop for social media influencers, bloggers, and journalists.
He said doing so was crucial to epidemic control and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
According to him, people who are worst hit by HIV are young people, females and key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM), people who use drugs, transgender, and commercial sex workers.
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He said even though HIV has no cure, it is no longer a disease that kills when there is effective management.
He said, “People have been living with this virus; some for the last 30 years and some more than 30 years. However, we want people to understand that fighting HIV begins with them. “
The Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocol Division of NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe, said the workshop was geared towards combating misinformation and dispelling myths associated with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.