Benin – Two non-governmental organisations in Edo have advocated the constitution of a board to oversee the activities for the State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDs (SACA).
The organisations Edo chapters of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and Civil Society for HIV/AIDs in Nigeria (CSHAN) made the call in Benin on Sunday.
The NEPWHAN Coordinator, Mr Francis Osayande, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the absence of a board was the major challenge facing HIV and AIDS response in Edo.
According to him, if the state government wants to support people living with HIV in the state, it should constitute a board for SACA.
“The law to constitute a board for the agency was enacted in 2006, and one provision of the law is for the board to seek for funds to carry out HIV/AIDS programmes,’’ Osayande said.
Osayanded, who wondered why the board had not been constituted, noted that donor agencies were gradually withdrawing their support for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment in the country.
“So, we are appealing to the state government to constitute a board for SACA.
“Setting up a board for the agency will enable it to seek financial support from corporate establishments and better coordinate issues on HIV/AIDS in the state.
“There is dare need to help solicit for financial support, especially to assist people living with the virus to access drugs and multivitamins.
The CSHAN Coordinator, Dr Bright Oniovoknkor, told NAN that the board would be made up of commissioners and directors of relevant ministries and representatives of non-governmental organisations.
“When this board is formed, the response to the disease will be high because as it is now, we just have a project team that cannot really do much.
“The board will also help to strengthen the public private partnership initiative of the agency as some of its members will be drawn from the private sector,” Oniovoknkor said.
