Anambra AIDS control agency unveils initiative to boost HIV care

ANSACA Executive Director and Project Manager of ANSACA, Dr Nkem Okeke and other dignitaries during the unveiling of the newsletter. Photo: Ikenna Obianeri

The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency has unveiled a newsletter and telehealth service as part of efforts to strengthen HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care across the state.

The initiative is expected to document the activities, milestones and progress of the agency in coordinating the HIV response across the state.

Speaking during the unveiling held at Chyben Leisure Hotel in Awka on Wednesday, the Executive Director and Project Manager of ANSACA, Dr Nkem Okeke, said the agency was taking the HIV campaign beyond offices and health facilities to communities where it was needed.

Okeke disclosed that more than 2,500 people had been tested for HIV in the state since April 2026 through outreaches in communities, motor parks, workplaces and tertiary institutions.

He added that community structures, including Ward Action Committees on AIDS and Campus Action Committees on AIDS, had also been established.

Speaking on the theme of the event, ‘Harnessing digital innovation to strengthen the HIV response, bridging communities and advancing health in Anambra State’, Okeke said Anambra and Nigeria as a whole had reached a critical stage in the fight against HIV/AIDS and must adopt new approaches to curb the further spread of the disease.

Okeke said, “Telehealth service is expected to introduce dedicated hotlines through which residents can call in for counselling, referrals, and reliable information on HIV. ANSACA Telehealth Service is geared towards removing physical barriers to healthcare access.

“The service will ensure confidentiality to enable residents to ask sensitive sexual health questions and seek guidance without the fear of public stigma. The twin initiatives under my watch highlight a major push towards integrating digital health and transparency into the state’s public health framework.”

He added that the unveiling was not just about phone numbers and a publication, but about bridging the gap between information and action, as well as between communities and life-saving services.

“Since April, 2026, when I assumed office, the agency has tested over 2,500 persons through community, motor park, workplace and tertiary institution outreaches, and has made Anambra the only state in Nigeria with ‘Ward Action Committee on AIDS’ and CACA for campuses.

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“The telehealth platform would provide confidential HIV information, counselling and referrals, including guidance on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, testing, treatment and stigma.

“About 176 primary healthcare centres offering free HIV services had been linked to the platform, with callers assessed and directed to appropriate facilities for care and follow-up,” Okeke added.

In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, commended ANSACA for the progress made in less than five months since Okeke assumed office, saying the agency was moving in the right direction.

Mefor hailed ANSACA for leveraging digital technology to improve access to healthcare, adding that the telehealth service would complement the state’s telemedicine programme by connecting residents with healthcare information and specialist support, while promoting early HIV testing to help reduce stigma.

The commissioner added that the unveiling underscored the state government’s commitment to supporting people who were often abandoned.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Sir Izuchukwu Nwabueze, said the newsletter would enhance documentation, communication and community engagement around ANSACA’s HIV interventions, while the telehealth platform would help remove barriers to accessing information, counselling and referrals.

Nwabueze noted that the development would contribute to Anambra’s goal of achieving zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero stigma and discrimination by 2030.

In her address, the keynote speaker, Prof Ifeoma Njelita, said digital technology should serve as a bridge to healthcare while keeping people at the centre of the HIV response.

Njelita identified access to HIV testing as a major gap and called for stronger local ownership of the response, particularly under Anambra’s 2026–2028 HIV Strategic Plan, which prioritises young people.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the newsletter, alongside a drama presentation and other activities.