By Obianuju Isima
The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has launched a new campus based HIV response initiative across 27 tertiary institutions in the state, with a focus on strengthening HIV prevention, awareness and support among adolescents and young people.
The initiative, known as the Campus Action Committee on AIDS (CACA), was unveiled on Sept. 4 during the inauguration of two HIV focal persons from each participating institution. The focal persons comprise a representative of the school authority, such as a lecturer, and a student representative.
The participating institutions cut across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, colleges of nursing and schools of nursing, including government, private and mission-owned institutions.
Under the CACA framework, each institution is expected to establish a campus committee made up of students drawn from different departments and levels. ANSACA will train and formally inaugurate the committees to equip members with the knowledge and skills required to promote responsible HIV prevention and awareness within their campuses.
Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said CACA was designed to bring the HIV response closer to young people by creating a structured platform for prevention and education within tertiary institutions.
Dr. Okeke explained that the campus initiative would complement existing HIV response structures at the national, state, local government and ward levels, while giving young people a more active role in protecting their health and influencing their peers positively.
“If we are able to secure this age group, it means that we have secured the elderly population, the coming future generations and those coming up,” Dr. Okeke noted.
The ANSACA boss acknowledged the support of the Anambra State Government under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, noting that the administration’s commitment to strengthening the state’s HIV response has created opportunities for the agency to expand prevention and support services to more communities and population groups.
With the inauguration of the focal persons, ANSACA is expected to proceed with the establishment and strengthening of CACA structures across the 27 institutions.
The agency said the initiative would provide an important platform for young people to access accurate HIV information, embrace preventive measures, know their HIV status and contribute to reducing new infections and stigma within their communities.
For students, the message is clear: knowledge, testing and prevention remain powerful tools in the fight against HIV.
Obianuju Isima is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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