From Idongesit Inyang
CROSS RIVER
A Start Up Programme on the journey towards sustainable HIV/AIDS epidemic control across Akwa Ibom and Cross River has been flagged off by a nongovernmentalorganisation, the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS).
Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) is a leading consortium of achieving Health Nigeria Initiative AHNi, FHI 360 and Howard University Global Initiative in Nigeria (HUGIN), to support Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in their final push toward sustainable HIV epidemic control with support from USAID.
Performing the flag off ceremony at the weekend in Calabar, the chief executive officer of ECEWS, Mr Andy Eyo, explained that the NGO is a 21-year-old indigenous organisation formed here in Nigeria.
According to him, it is committed to improving access to millions of people’s quality health care, education and economic strength across the country and is also particularly programmed to accelerate the control of HIV/AIDS in Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Eyo said the programme is a five-year-long project which is a continuation of the past project that has been implemented by the Family Health International, explaining that the aim of the launch in Calabar was to continue and sustain the gains.
He disclosed that currently, so many Akwa Ibomites and Cross Riverians who are HIV positive have been receiving their drugs to enable them live normal lives and contribute meaningfully to the economy of their states.
While appreciating the funding support of other development partners like the USAID to enable the NGO to thrive, Eyostated that with further support of the Cross River State Government and the State House of Assembly, HIV/AIDS shall become a thing of the past or reduced to the barestminimum.
He said that there was a radical improvement and that the organisation will work with all stages of government to ensure that the project is sustained, while also thanking Gov Ben Ayade for providing personnel and access to facilities for easy operation of the project.
The organisation, he also said, is going to liaise with the state government on health development plan to continue to amass resources and put them into budget and release them for the support of the people living with HIV/AIDS alongside the funds received from the United States Government.
Presenting the ECEWS USAID ACE Grant, Mr. Kolawole Olatunbosun, the chief of party of the organization, remarked that the Accelerating Control of the HIV Epidemic in Nigeria Cluster 5 project is funded by the USAID with ECEWS as the prime partner.
He further explained that its goal is to foster the government of Nigeria’s capacity at state and local levels to govern and implement HIV/AIDS/TB control programmes across Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
Olatunbosun listed one of the objectives to include increasing access and provision of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services within Primary Health Care Interventions.
Also speaking, the chairman, House Committee on Health in the Cross River State House of Assembly and member representing Bakassi State Constituency, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo, congratulated ECEWS and promised to work with the organisation to ensure success in Cross River.
Ekpo said that with quality and affordable health services in Cross River, the state government and the state House of Assembly will work together with the organisation to accelerate the control of HIV/AIDS in Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
He called on other partners to cooperate with ECEWS to ensure successful operations in the two states.
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