The first HIV/AIDS rallies organised by PADEAP Nigeria were held in Funtua in 2005 and PADEAP is now working closely with HIV/AIDS partners including GHAIN – the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria, Society for Family Health, Heart-to-heart centres and National Youth Service corps (NYSC) Peer Education training scheme. PADEAP holds seminars in partnership with GHAIN centres within the zone; including awareness campaigns for counselling and voluntary testing, and prevention of mother to child transmission.
PADEAP Nigeria is a member of the Funtua Global Fund cluster group. Meetings are held on a monthly basis recording enrolment of clients in all testing centres, Funtua, Faskari and Bakori. Reports were also forwarded from the Antiretroviral unit, outlining new clients on drugs and existing drug usage. The Prevention of mother to child transmission unit also outlines the numbers of HIV exposed babies. The Tuberculosis unit outlines the number of clients for sputum AFB and CXR, highlighting new clients and follow up clients.
Within Funtua zone a number of organisations have been working with the Heart to Heart centre to support the testing and counselling. PADEAP was chosen because of its educational and previous peer education work with the state to highlight the needs of Orphans and Vulnerable children. Currently PADEAP is rendering psychosocial support and counselling on nutrition to Orphans and vulnerable children. PADEAP Nigeria has also engaged in Food and Nutritional counselling directly at the heart to heart centre to the PLWAS both parents and their children as means of building their immunity on clinic days. PADEAP also has an open door policy; the majority of groups only work with the Muslim or Christian community.
Women & HIV/AIDS
In the wake of our Community health/ HiV/Aids programmes, we have recognized the need for psychosocial support especially for women living with HIV. The sole purpose of the initiative is to control and protect women against the scourge of HIV/AIDS especially caused by stigma and stigmatization. The forum started in February 2007 has seen many more women join in the fight against stigma. The forum creates conducive environments to freely discuss common stigma issues peculiar to the local community and also teaches women how to use food to fight HIV/AIDS.
Local food items, maize, zogala, spinach, soya beans are used to prepare nutritious food and eaten together at the forum. The forum has helped to restore the confidence of many positive women living within the community.
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
PADEAP coordinates with the Child Protection Network for Funtua Zone under the auspices of the National Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Programme. The OVC programme is anchored by PADEAP Nigeria as part of cluster group in Katsina State.
The network aims to support and care for children orphaned by the disease, and support women who have lost their partners to HIV/Aid related ailments.
