Ajiri Imah
The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Dr. Gambo Aliyu, has charged Nigerians to share love and not HIV.
According to Dr. Aliyu, valentine’s day is an opportunity to prioritize one’s health and well-being, he therefore urged Nigerians to use the occasion to get tested for HIV.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Dr. Aliyu stressed on the need for Nigerians, particularly young people to prioritize expressing love within the context of caring for their loved ones, in order to protect them from harm and reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AID and other sexually transmitted infections.
He also highlighted the significance of knowing one’s HIV status as an important step towards preventing, treating, and managing the virus.
“This period is observed to witness a high rate of indiscriminate sexual activities and other amoral behaviours that lead to uninformed decisions among many, so, I urge you to desist from practices that might expose you to risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and/or other sexually transmitted diseases as we celebrate this special day. Once again I urge you to love wisely, share love, and not the virus.
“We express love for our partners during this Valentine’s Day, remember to love wisely. As members of a wider society, your health and productivity count to your nuclear and extended families and the entire country.” He said.