The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) has intensified its drive to achieve Zero New HIV Infections by 2030, with plans to introduce telehealth services, expand community-based HIV prevention programmes and strengthen grassroots engagement across the state.

Speaking during the agency’s monthly review meeting held on July 30, in Awka the Executive Director and Project Manager of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, outlined key initiatives aimed at improving access to HIV prevention, testing, counselling and treatment support.

Dr. Okeke announced that ANSACA will soon launch telehealth services through dedicated hotlines, enabling residents to receive confidential HIV-related information, counselling and referrals from the comfort of their homes or workplaces, noting that the initiative is expected to improve access to services, reduce stigma and encourage more people to seek timely support.

He disclosed that the agency is preparing for a statewide market outreach campaign designed to take HIV prevention, testing and awareness services directly to traders and other members of the public, further expanding community access to essential healthcare.

The Executive Director revealed that the draft Anambra State Workplace HIV Policy has been completed and is awaiting stakeholder review before it is presented to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for approval, explaining that the policy will promote non-discrimination, support workplace HIV prevention and encourage healthier work environments across the state.

Highlighting recent achievements, Dr. Okeke said ANSACA has strengthened its community-based HIV response through motor park awareness campaigns, moonlight HIV testing in key population hotspots and the digitisation of its data collection and management system to improve planning, service delivery and programme monitoring.

He disclosed that the agency has established an HIV Awareness Brigade comprising more than 1,600 volunteers across Anambra’s 326 wards to deepen grassroots awareness and community participation. According to him, arrangements are underway for Governor Soludo to officially inaugurate the brigade.

Dr. Okeke commended the Soludo administration for its sustained political commitment to the state’s HIV response, describing the government’s support as critical to ANSACA’s progress in expanding prevention and treatment services.

He appealed to corporate organisations, development partners and philanthropists to invest in HIV prevention programmes, stressing that HIV is not only a public health concern but also a social and economic challenge that requires broad-based collaboration.

The monthly review meeting featured technical sessions where heads of departments assessed activities carried out in the previous month, reviewed progress on ongoing programmes and developed strategies to strengthen HIV prevention and service delivery across Anambra State.