**** we’re now getting new infections — Bauchi SACA
According to epidemiologist Samuel Nwafor, an astounding 38% of critical populations in Nigeria are infected with HIV, including transgender individuals, persons who inject drugs, female sex workers, and men who have sex with men.
He claims that the essential populations are those who, regardless of the type of epidemic or local setting, are more likely to contract HIV because of particular higher-risk behaviors.
In addition, they frequently face social and legal repercussions for their actions, which make them more susceptible to HIV.
At the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (BACATMA), Samuel Nwafor, a Technical Supporter for the University of Maryland, Bauchi Group, answered questions from journalists during a three-day training session on best practices for key population size estimates for collectors and enumerators.
Citing his work providing assistance to the poor population that constitutes a block of HIV infection in Nigeria, he called for increased government effort to lessen the scourge of HIV in the nation.
He describes the community as consisting of female prostitutes, drug injectors, men who have sex with men, and transgender persons, even though it is illegal for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to engage in certain activities in Nigeria.
“But, we are approaching this from a public health perspective, which is why we are collaborating with government organizations that have been tasked with addressing this epidemic in Nigeria, such as the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS,” he said.
“I think it is important to talk about these issues because, as a government, we are not endorsing their actions; rather, we are trying to find a way to protect the citizens. The reality is that these people are our neighbors; we use the same transportation systems, go to the same markets, and some of them even have relationships with people who are not in our social circle.”
He claims that 38% of these critical populations—women who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender persons, and injectable drug users—are currently HIV positive in Nigeria. This indicates that 38 of them, out of a total of 100, have HIV.
It has been an issue, but thank God the government is finally speaking out about it. Since they are Nigerian citizens, even if we are criminalizing them, this does not mean that we would all perish as a result of it. For this reason, it is crucial that we count them, find out where they are, and learn about any health problems they may be having in order to avoid encouraging their behavior.
“We want to provide a prevention approach for them at the hotspots where they would be met, while we continue behavioral change programs for them, their minds, and sex abnormality.”
“We can, first of all, reduce the prevalence of HIV and other STIs among them and again, influencing people to love and care for them, hoping that their behavior would change over time,” he continued. Every other nation follows this procedure.
“Thank God that the government is taking action through SACA and NACA. We have conducted this kind of workshop in 20 states across the nation, and the feedback we are receiving about the impact of our work is positive.”
The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria (BACATMA) Acting Director, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Control, Lumana Caleb-Sadiq, stated in her remarks that the Agency is mandated to participate in all HIV/AIDS related activities taking place in the State.
He states that “there are still gaps in Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response, notwithstanding the country’s excellent performance in this area. These gaps are helping the important population group of persons who don’t visit general public health services.
“And the government should approach them more closely because they don’t visit these facilities, but first we must ascertain their precise number and location.”
He continued, “Once we are aware of that, we will be in a position to provide the kind of health services they require that are appropriate for their particular culture.”
“If we don’t stop the breeding of the infection from them, then it means we will be working and some people will be sabotaging it,” the interim director continued, pointing out that they are a part of the greater community.
The goal of this initiative is to lower the nation’s HIV/AIDS prevalence. Although the State’s prevalence is only 0.4 percent, we are currently seeing new infections from various sources, which may be related to ongoing livelihood issues.
Thus, in order to make sure that everything runs smoothly for them and that, in the end, the State is HIV/AIDS free, we also want to reach out to the important demographic.
He remarked, “We are trying to curb it by stopping infections from them so that the larger community will be free, but we are not encouraging them.”
Speaking also, Gabriel Obiro, Study Manager and Technical Lead for the Key Population Size Capture and Recapture at Bauchi State, University of Maryland, Baltimore, said that 35 participants and 10 stakeholders, selected from the communities and CBOs, would be going directly to the field to interact with the communities and meet with key informants, such as the owners of brothels, bunks, hotels, bars, and other establishments, to inquire about the locations available.
