 has cautioned students and other adolescents against premarital risky behaviour and encouraged them to promote awareness on HIV){kind=link}
The Civil Society for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CISHAN) has cautioned students and other adolescents against premarital risky behaviour and encouraged them to promote awareness on HIV prevalence.
The CISHAN Sokoto State Coordinator, Mr Muhammad Garba, made the call at a sensitisation in commemoration of the 2025 World AIDS Day in Sokoto.
The World AIDS Day is annually celebrated on Dec. 1 across the globe to raise awareness about the dangers of HIV and AIDS and proffer ways to assist people living with the virus.
The 2025 edition of the global observance has “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response” as its theme, calling for sustained political leadership, international cooperation and human-rights-centred approaches to end AIDS by 2030.
Garba, therefore, cautioned students against risky behaviour and stressed the need for increased awareness about the deadly virus.
He appealed to Sokoto State Government to ensure prompt approvals and release of funds and intensify efforts by media, as well as community organisations for awareness.
He underscored the importance of sustaining the successes on the fight against HIV prevalence through increased budgetary allocations and fund releases to relevant agencies.
He said the effort would scale up HIV testing and treatment services at all levels, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The coordinator further stressed the importance of addressing social and economic determinants of health, including poverty, stigma and discrimination, which exacerbated the HIV epidemic.
According to him, students and adolescents are targeted in view of current statistics of HIV infected persons, as well as their positions as future leaders and involvements in social activities.
He urged them to adhere to preventive measures to avoid contracting the disease.
Mr Kabiru Umar, the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis and Leprosy (SOSACAT), said the state has achieved the 95-95-95 HIV/AIDS control target.
Umar said these covered diagnosis, treatment and viral suppression, marking a significant milestone in the fight against the epidemic within the state.
He said the year 2025 theme — “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” reflected renewed hope for Sokoto State and all people affected by HIV, highlighting progress made in spite of past challenges and disruptions.
The Vice Principal, Federal Government College, Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Haruna, thanked CISHAN for conducting the sensitisation in the school, which gave students opportunity to understand and broaden their knowledge of HIV and other diseases.
The School Head Girl, Onoh Eucharist- Chinenye, commended the organisers and expressed optimism that students would use knowledge gained to protect themselves.
The event witnessed drama presentation, lectures and discussions on HIV prevalence, mode of contracting the virus and general counselling.
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