World’s AIDS Day 2019: Reach The Peak Initiative Sensitizes Students On HIV/AIDS

Reach The Peak Initiative, RPI, a non-governmental organization at the weekend launched HIV/AIDS awareness campaign among students in Lagos in commemoration of World’s AIDS day 2019.

The awareness which was held in Comprehensive Senior High School, Alapere and Community Senior High School, Alapere both in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, had students attend lecture session on HIV/AIDs and field activities to display the red ribbon.

World’s AIDS day is observed on 1 December every year since 1988. It is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Communities make the difference’.

At the event, lecture was delivered by a medical practitioner, Ms. Olajumoke Erinle on the causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of HIV/AID as the students listened with rapt attention. At the end of the session students asked various questions relating to the disease and received expert answers from the lecturer.

Speaking with Journalists after the awareness, Erinle said the awareness on HIV/AIDS became very necessary as Nigeria is among the countries worst hit by the disease.

According to her, research shows that Nigeria has the second largest number of people living with HIV/AIDs, she warned that, ‘’if proper preventive/control measures are not put in place the virus will continue to spread to unimaginable level’’.

She said, “Knowledge is power as they say, with awareness like this people can actually know the effect of HIV on humans and ways they can prevent it.

Olajumoke, a Pharmacist said, ‘’With ongoing efforts on awareness, counseling and testing, I believe there will be reduction in the spread of HIV’’,

She further encouraged those living with HIV not see the disease as the end of the world but live every moment of their lives being happy.

‘’Living with HIV/AIDS is not the end of the world, They (HIV/AID Patients) should live every moment of their life being happy, do things they have always dreamed of doing, take their medications regularly and spread the word to enlighten others’’, she said.

The coordinator of Reach the Peak Initiative (RPI), Adeyemi Olalemi, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the program and the cooperation from the students.

He explained that the program featured a lecture by a medical practitioner and field activities for the students who displayed different placards on HIV/AIDS Awareness and also formed the red ribbon – the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS – on the field.

Olalemi noted that RPI is working on synergising with other NGOs and relevant government agencies to increase awareness, counseling, and voluntary testing.

Speaking on the theme, Olalemi said; Communities include peer educators, networks of people living with or affected by HIV, people who inject drugs and sex workers, women and young people, students, counselors, community health workers, and civil society organizations among others.

He said Communities makes the difference in the global awareness on HIV, by contributing to the AIDS response in many different ways, adding that ‘’their leadership and advocacy ensure that the response remains relevant and grounded, keeping people at the centre and leaving no one behind in fighting against the disease.