By Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Bayelsa State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) have called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to improve the coordination and effectiveness of HIV, Gender and Human Rights interventions in Bayelsa State.
The call was made during a five-day capacity-building workshop for members of the HIV Gender and Human Rights State Response Team (SRT) held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
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Speaking at the workshop, the South-South Zonal Coordinator of NACA, Mr. Nnamso Thomas, stressed the importance of strategic partnerships among organizations involved in the HIV response, noting that greater cooperation would strengthen SACA’s ability to coordinate HIV-related activities across the state.
According to him, stakeholders must avoid working in isolation and instead build stronger networks that will enable the agency to effectively discharge its mandate.
“We do not need to work in silos. Despite existing challenges, all organizations should support SACA to be more proactive. There is a need for synergy, and stakeholders’ meetings should be held regularly to improve coordination and achieve better outcomes,” Thomas said.
He further urged networks and organizations in the HIV response sector to intensify advocacy efforts directed at government institutions, the private sector and the media to secure increased funding and support for HIV programmes.
Also speaking, the Director-General of SACA, Dr. Temple Iluma, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with stakeholders to address concerns raised during the workshop and strengthen the state’s HIV response.
“HIV remains a major public health concern in Bayelsa State. While funding continues to be a challenge, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to improve service delivery and support affected populations,” he said.
Dr. Iluma thanked the NACA team for organizing the workshop and commended participants for their dedication to advancing gender and human rights issues within the HIV response framework.
Dr. Iluma also lamented the inadequate funding of HIV programmes by the state government, describing it as a major obstacle to the effective implementation of interventions aimed at reducing new infections and supporting people living with HIV.
He noted that despite the financial constraints, SACA has continued to coordinate HIV response activities across the state through the support of development partners and stakeholders. He called for increased budgetary allocation and sustained government commitment to strengthen prevention, treatment, care and support services, as well as gender and human rights interventions in Bayelsa State.
Participants at the workshop, including representatives of the Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation (ENWAF), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and other civil society and community-based organizations, pledged their commitment to working closely with SACA to strengthen the HIV response in Bayelsa State. They emphasized the need for sustained collaboration, advocacy, and community engagement to address HIV-related stigma and discrimination, promote gender and human rights, and improve access to services for vulnerable populations.
The HIV Gender and Human Rights State Response Team plays a key role in policy advocacy, resource mobilization, promoting gender equality, facilitating access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence, and combating HIV-related stigma, discrimination and other human rights violations.
