The Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) has trained new set of HIV counselor testers from different Civil Society Groups across the State on HIV Testing Services (HTS) for optimum productivity and quality service delivery to Lagosians.
In her remarks, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Ikeja, on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), LSACA, Dr. Monsurat Adeleke emphasised the importance of training and retraining all stakeholders in HIV/AIDS management within the State.
Adeleke noted that regular training and engagement of counselor testers, in particular, is a prerequisite for achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 initiative, which means 90% of people living with the virus should know their status, 90% of HIV positive individuals should be initiated on antiretroviral (ART) drugs and 90% of individuals on ART drugs achieve viral suppression.
“We are training them before they go into the communities and screen people. In fact, the training is in line with the agency’s goal of achieving HIV free generation, and the UNAIDS 90-90-90 initiative, aimed at attaining the elimination of new HIV infection by the year 2030 which conforms with the healthier Lagos dream as contained in the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu”. She added.
She said a total of 120 new counselor testers will be trained in three batches of 40 participants daily on courses such as: Preventive Management in HIV/AIDS; Overview of HIV testing services; National Algorithm: Rapid HIV testing test kits and consumables possible test results; Interpreting results and disclosure; and counseling skills, approaches and process, ethics in counseling and ethical dilemma among others for 4 days.
Adeleke also disclosed that refresher training will be conducted for old HIV counselor testers in two batches of 40 participants each for two days bringing the total number of trained personnel to 200 across the State.
While emphasizing the importance of infection prevention and control measures to be observed in order to protect themselves and their clients from contracting Covid-19, she stressed hand hygiene, i.e., regular hand washing with soap and water, use of alcohol based sanitizers, wearing of facemasks, physical distancing and measuring of customers’ temperatures among others.
Responding on behalf of the participants, Mrs. Duke Roselyn from the People’s Empowerment and Social Development Initiative (PESDI) and Mr. Akin Lanihun from JVAL Health Foundation both commended LSACA and the State government for the opportunity to get trained by experts and believed that by the end of the training, they will come out better to render the services of HIV testing and counseling across the State.
