A nongovernmental organisation, Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with Kogi based Initiative for Grassroots Advancement (INGRA) has provided emergency palliatives to 400 Persons Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWH) in Kogi state.
The NGO has also provided 70 hand-washing apparatus to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as security, media, religious bodies, youth council, markets, motor parks and groups across the state.
AHF team leader in the state, Mr. Temitope Orogbemi, while speaking at the presentation of the palliatives at the Ministry of Health, Lokoja, over the weekend, said the foundation was delighted to have two Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state to support the fight against the pandemic.
“Through the CSOs, we will be reaching out to about 1,000 people living with HIV with food palliatives and different groups with hand-washing apparatus while some would be mounted at strategic locations and all in different local government areas in the state.
“Globally, since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide as we create and implement new programmes in communities across the world. We also expand delivery of healthcare and influence policy with the aim of saving more lives,” he said.
The executive director, INGRA, Mr. Hamza Aliyu in his speech stated that COVID-19 palliatives had come from public and private sectors, but none had been targeted specifically at the most vulnerable and indigent persons whose immune systems were very low.
He said: “We think that we need to be strategic in sending out our palliatives so that those who really need it should be those who get it.
“The first component of the emergency support is that we are providing food palliatives for 400 persons living with HIV and AIDS. The number is because we are looking at those who are vulnerable and indigent.
“We have 400 packs of food palliatives including rice, beans, beverages, vegetable oil, sachets of tomato pastes and all those things put together in each bag should be able to carry a family of four for two weeks.
“We are providing this because we feel nutrition is one aspect that they lack and many of them do not have enough and could hardly adhere to their drugs.
“Many of the people living with HIV /AIDS cannot adhere strictly to their drugs due to poor nutrition and this is an issue for treatment.”
Kogi: NGOs distribute food to persons living with HIV
