The Kaduna State Aids Control Agency on Saturday trained over 65 adolescent and young persons living with AIDS in various skills to commemorate the World AIDS Day.

The theme of the years’ WAD is “Sustain HIV Response, Stop HIV Among Children To End AIDS In Nigeria.”

The skills acquired by the beneficiaries included the production of vaseline, ointment, Izal, shampoo, dettol and liquid soap.

The Anti-Retroviral Therapy Focal Person at the Primary Health Care Centre, Unguan Rimi, Hauwa Ahmad, highlighted the importance of empowering AYPs living with AIDS with relevant skills.

Ms Ahmad explained that the training was aimed at equipping the AYPs with the necessary skills to become self-reliant and confident in their abilities.

She emphasised that the skills acquired would enable them to generate income and improve their livelihoods.

The focal person said the agency’s initiative was geared towards promoting the well-being and economic empowerment of AYPs living with AIDS in the state.

At the sideline, she disclosed that the total number of the AYPs who had accessed their treatment at the facility were 281.

Ms Ahmad said the gathering was also aimed at sensitising them on strict adherence to their drugs; have peer-to-peer counselling, advice and build their self-esteem.

She said, “When they started coming to the facility and discovered they are not the only ones who are HIV positive, it built their self-esteem with the help of the support group.”

The Coordinator for AYPs living with AIDS in Primary Health Care Centre, Unguan Rimi, Garba Saidu (Not real name),, said he became the coordinator in 2022.

From 2022 till date, he stated that they had achieved the triple 95 (95-95-95).

He said, “The 95s stand for the percentage of viral load suppression; people knowing their status, and taking their drugs, which have all reached the 95 per cent.”

He stated that he was able to reorient his AYP support group on various notions and suppressed hearsays regarding HIV/AIDS.

He added, “This had transformed and changed his group members’ negative mentality and ideas about the disease through the use of games, music and dance, among others. As adolescents and young persons, through this, they become relaxed and tell us their problems.  With the support group, all of them are virally suppressed to the virus.’’

One of the participants, Lado Amos, 16, (not real name), said the training gave him another opportunity to interact with other young persons living with HIV/AIDS.

He said, “We are not alone in this struggle. The training has built my self-esteem. I am now more confident to face the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS. I urge other organisations to emulate KADSACA’s initiative and support young persons living with HIV/AIDS to acquire skills and become self-reliant.”

The WAD commemoration was supported by UNICEF, FHI 360 and AYPIN. UNICEF established the AYP Support Group in 2017 so that young people living with HIV may connect with their peers and share stories, spark new ideas and gain insights into how to lead fulfilling lives notwithstanding their HIV statuses.

(NAN)