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CRSACA INAUGURATES MEDIA ADVOCACY TEAM, ASSURED OF IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS’ SUPPORT

 




By Kingsley Agim 


The Cross River State Agency for the Control of  AIDS (CR-SACA) has inaugurated a 14-member Media Advocacy Action Committee in its avowed determination to promote awareness and expound greater attention to HIV/AIDS-related matters in the State.


In her remarks at the virtual inauguration recently, the Deputy Director, South South Zone of National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Uduak Daniels said the setting up of the HIV & AIDS media advocacy platform was a move towards consolidating on the value of institutional partnerships and collaboration with media practitioners/professionals.


According to Dr. Daniel, the media advocacy think tank is aimed at ensuring that the media becomes significantly involved in the forefront of HIV/AIDS education, social mobilization, and advocacy to bring about sustainable behaviour and social change in the South-South zone.


 Speaking while inaugurating the Cross River State Media Advocacy Action Committee,the  Director General of Cross River -SACA, Dr. Etcheri-Ella Ansa said the inauguration of media advocacy team would boost awareness creation and encourage more attention to issues of HIV/AIDS.


“Also in educating the public about the reason to fight  stigmatization, encourage the masses to know their status, infected persons encouraged to take drugs to reduce the viral load and also help in reduction of mother to child transmission” she said. 


Pledging support for CR-SACA in a goodwill message, the State Team Lead of Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) Project Nigeria, Mr Donald Akpenna, stated that the organization was in support of the setting up of HIV Media Advocacy Team in Cross River State.


He said RISE as one of the Implementing Partners, is proud to be associated with the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) and would work with the Media Advocacy team to achieve greater results in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the State.


”I bring you greetings from RISE Project Nigeria. We are proud to be associated with Cross River state HIV Response and in particular, the  HIV Media Advocacy Team.


“We wish to use this medium to express gratitude to the Cross River State Government for supporting our implementation of comprehensive HIV care and treatment services in the state,” he remarked.


According to him, HIV Media and Advocacy platform was one of such that “strengthens the struggle towards HIV Epidemic Control which is our mandate and we felicitate with CRSACA for this beautiful initiative.”


In another goodwill message, Dr. Grace Essien of the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research, Nigeria (CCCRN), stated that with her organization has enrolling about 46, 638 beneficiaries into the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) programme, it has also supported Cross River State in the translation of the Anti-stigma Law into Efik language, with the official handling over of printed copies of translated work coming up soon.


Dr. Essien reassured CR-SACA that CCCRN as a non-profit organization will continue to promote best practices in health care delivery, medical training and research using locally-adapted models of health systems strengthening in the State and beyond.


The Media Advocacy Committee, which is made up of thorough-bred professionals, is ably led by Roseline Irek, Director of Orientation at the Ministry of Information and Orientation. Other members include Benson White of News Agency of Nigeria; Oka Ibor of Nigerian Chronicle; Frank Odey of Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC); Odey Alenyor of NTA 9,  Iwara Iwara of Hit FM and Publisher of Calitown.com; Kingsley Agim, Publisher of Cross River Mirror who is to serve as secretary of the committee; FAD FM’s Tina Akpeke; Efio-Ita Nyok of Negroid Haven, an online blog; Joshua of Sparkling FM; Maria Ewa of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN; Helen Brand of CORRECT FM; Frank Ulom, Editor-In-Chief of PARADISE News; and Ofem Jesam, a burgeoning online media expert.


The Media Advocacy team had also recently held its maiden meeting to brainstorm ahead of the World AIDS Day.

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