Tens of thousands of adults and children live with HIV in the areas where ACET Nigeria operates. ACET Nigeria supports many of them with medication adherence across the five states of Kogi, Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa.
ACET Nigeria volunteers carry out home visits with individuals who are living with HIV to help them have in date antiretroviral medication at home and to follow a regular medication regime. They discuss any issues that are preventing the individuals from adhering to the medication routine needed to keep the virus suppressed. Issues might be shame, insufficient finances to buy new medication, or low literacy levels meaning they don’t know how to take it.
For those whose virus is not suppressed, the volunteers help the individual identify the barrier and address it.
37 children and 533 adults living with HIV were supported with medication adherence in the first 6 months of 2023.
One of the ways they encourage adherence is through treatment reminders where volunteers call to remind the individuals to take the medication.
In addition to their adherence support, ACET’s extensive HIV testing, education and counselling outreach is helping reduce HIV transmission in Nigeria.
Their faithful volunteers deliver engaging seminars and lessons about HIV and AIDs, malaria, and hepatitis B in their Children’s and Esteem Clubs, and at schools, churches, and community centres.
watch video about children's & esteem clubs
watch video about hiv outreach
watch video about prevention of mother-to-child transmission
During the first 6 months of 2023, they were able to reach 3,812 people in 5 different states.
Amazingly, ACET Nigeria staff were then able to test 2,474 of these people for HIV of whom, 21 people tested positive. These people have all been contacted, counselled, and enrolled on the programme and have now begun HIV treatment. This is wonderful news!
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is also an important part of this work.
Thanks to your amazing support, 60 pregnant women who are at high risk of HIV have received counselling and been mobilised to both enrol for and attend antenatal clinics, meaning that their babies will be better cared for and will not be born with HIV.
15-year-old Jonathan goes to an ACET Nigeria Esteem Club in Plateau State, "I learnt to prevent HIV and unwanted pregnancies by not having unprotected sex. Correct and consistent use of condoms can also reduce the risk of transmission."
