A Timely Blessing: Economic Strengthening for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Akwa Ibom State
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken a great toll on the lives of Nigerians. With 174,253 AIDS- related deaths recorded in 2014[i] alone, Nigeria’s estimated 17.5 million[ii] orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) as a result of HIV/AIDS are among the largest in the world. Often lacking parental support due to the loss of one or both parents to AIDS, OVC are susceptible to abuse, discrimination and violence. This susceptibility in turn increases their overall social and economic vulnerability. (more…)
READ MOREMobile HIV/AIDS clinics help restore the health of a woman fleeing conflict in northeastern Nigeria
Fati Mohammed is a 45-year-old widow and mother of three who used to live in Dikwa in Borno State, Nigeria. Her husband died of complications from AIDS, and in 2014, she tested positive for HIV. Fati was tested at Dikwa General Hospital, which provides comprehensive HIV services led by FHI 360 through the Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS) project. The SIDHAS project, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, works in Nigeria to integrate HIV/AIDS care by delivering high-quality, comprehensive prevention and treatment services. (more…)
READ MOREA Remarkable Story of Recovery: Building Leaders and Advocates For TB/HIV
Thirteen-year-old Tinuke (not real name) had been ill for a while with a persistent cough, fever and progressive weight loss. When she sought medical evaluation at the Massey Street Children’s Hospital, one of several hospitals in Lagos supported by the US. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS) project, a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) was made by the clinical staff and she was asked to do some investigations. These investigations included a sputum GeneXpert assay as well as a blood test for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV test returned positive which meant that Tinuke was infected with HIV. During post-test counseling, she revealed that she had known her HIV status for a while now and had even been on treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, but had stopped treatment several months before her current illness. (more…)
READ MOREWorld Health Worker Week 2018
Health workers – nurses, midwives, community health workers, pharmacists, peer counselors, doctors, pharmacists, and other cadres – working at the facility and community, are usually the first point of contact for people who need health services. (more…)
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