[afro-nets] Results of 3rd National Abstinence Leadership Workshop

["Ms. Henrietta Anidimma" <nabstinencecoalition@yahoo.co.uk>]

Results of 3rd National Abstinence Leadership Workshop
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Dear Colleague,

The Nigeria Abstinence Coalition organized its third annual abstinence leadership workshop between October 10 & 12, 2006. It was preceded by an All State Abstinence march and rally through the busy Maryland road in Lagos to Channels TV station where the over 580 abstinence campaigners carrying placards performed dances and recitations extolling chastity while warning on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The two day training session was conducted at Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, Nigeria?s leading centre for HIV virology and ART services. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs. Adesola Kila, a public health consultant informed that abstinence and fidelity are part of the cultural and religious dispositions of Nigerians which should be reinforced to scale up HIV prevention. She called on the HIV/AIDS community to muster sufficient intellectual courage to reassess the prevention model that has been dominant over the years. Dr. Mrs. Pat Ekoh, PhD of Teens Health Initiative corroborated, adding: ?as an evaluator, if your approach fails to achieve set targets after so long of attempting, and you still insist on it, I will question your sincerity of purpose?? She spoke on parental involvement in abstinence educational programmes.  

The speaker of the Lagos Children Parliament, Miss T. Adeyemi made passionate plea that her generation requires affirmative actions in favour of abstinence instead of forcing condoms on young persons who are not prepared for the possible consequences. She received standing ovation. Mike Essien, represented Dr. A. Desalu of Lagos State AIDS Control Agency presented the global and national HIV/ADS update, and posited that prevention must remain on the front burners to mitigate increased burden of care and support. Acting Director of the Institute of Child Health & Primary Care of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr (Mrs.) O. Abosede, in a paper on the emerging issues in HIV/AIDS prevention and control posited that prevention is marginalized in resources allocation and priority.

Participants worked in four groups on a draft document which had material inputs from ?I Choose Life? curriculum (Kenya), ?Abstinence Survival Kit? of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, and Christian Connections for International Health, USA, among others. Their insights into the curriculum content, delivery methods, resource mobilization and constraints to scaling up were put into programming perspective by Prof. M.C. Asuzu of the Community Medicine Dept, University of Ibadan. He guided trainees on the experiences of African Youth Congress of Nigeria and the Association for Family Life Education whose joint curriculum evolved based on interventions in Nigeria?s western region since 1986. HOPE Worldwide Nigeria shared practical experience of their work in four districts of Lagos, concluding that over 700 youth made commitment to abstinence only the previous day.

Good will messages were received from the Abia State government through Mr. F. Origa of the State AIDS Control Agency, Dr. P Campbel of Empowering Communities Mission, Civil Society on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Muslim Youth Initiative, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, and Mrs. Tonia Onyenwenyi of AVSI/Nigeria. An official of USAID/Nigeria mission attended as an observer. 58 candidates representing 45 civil societies from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria got certified at the end of the programme.

Commenting on the success of the workshop, president of the Nigeria Abstinence Coalition, Dr. EIB okechukwu, thanked local and international abstinence advocates for the overwhelming endorsement of the initiative in Nigeria.

If you are interested in the final curriculum document, please react to this posting


Public Affairs Advisor
Nigeria Abstinence Coalition
+234-8029494749, +234-8034745345
mailto:nabstinencecoalition@yahoo.co.uk