The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh has assured of her ministry’s readiness to partner the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency in the fight against the scourge.

 

Speaking while receiving the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency on an advocacy visit in her office, Commissioner Chuma-Udeh stated that the highest scourge humanity has witnessed outside tuberculosis is HIV and syphilis and that it is a thing of joy that there are people out there battling to secure and safeguard the lives of others.

 

Prof. Chuma-Udeh further stated that the Ministry would apart from establishing HIV awareness clubs in schools, domesticate it in the curriculum which flows from the national, by adding some extracurricular activities.

 

Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency ANSACA, Mr. John Bosco Ementa called for the integration of Family Life and Health Education into the State’s school curriculum, which according to him, would address the growing HIV crises, as well as reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the scourge.

 

Mr. Ementa cautioned that absence of intervention for in-school youth could result in increasing new infections, especially among youths and adolescents.

 

He expressed confidence in the Ministry’s capacity to provide required leadership in monitoring and evaluation of the programme’s performance and impact in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.