Isidi Monica
A cross section of participants at the event
The Lagos State Agency for the Control of AIDS (LSACA) has combarked on her plan of conducting the first Lagos AIDS Survey (LAGAIS) so as to provide database on the prevalence of AIDS and lighten up the burden of the disease on individuals and communities in the State.
The survey will be private household study which includes children.
Healthcare workers and LSACA staff would be visiting participants to collect blood samples to test for HIV/AIDS in various communities.
Mrs Olubunmi Ilawole, Health Educator, Lagos State Ministry of Health, disclosed this at an interactive session organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs for the Community Development Committee (CDC), Community Development Associations (CDAs) and other stakeholders across the State held at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausain Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
She said with rapid population of Lagos, the survey was to create more awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS and provide opportunity for participant to know the status so that appropriate measures could be taken to live a healthy and productive life in the society.
Ilawole, however, called on community and traditional leaders to inform and encourage every households and individuals to cooperate and participate during the survey and collection of blood samples in communities.
“Doing so will establish their knowledge about HIV and provide them with the opportunity to know their status, so that appropriate measures can be taken to take good care of them and their families’’ she said.
The representative of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, SP Bangajiya Charles said that the police were doing their best in fighting crimes and criminal activities in the various communities in the State, but appealed to the residents to help the law enforcement agents to tackle and fight hoodlums so as to have a safety society.
“We will continue to serve you, we will continue to do our best and ensure that Lagos State is the best and safest State and if you see something, say something’’.
He, however, implored everyone to collaborate with the police by giving vital information that would help the operation of the police in their respective communities, adding that “working together with us will help us track down all forms of criminalities because the people know the hoodlums more.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Communities and Communications, Mr.Kehinde Bamigbetan, said the interactive session with the CDAs and CDCs was provide avenue for stakeholders to know that the present administration was prompt in planning, committed and proactive, saying that the reason was to energized the community leaders to be more aware of every of State`s programmes.
