The Rivers State Action Cmmittee on AIDS (RIVSACA) is putting finishing touches on the state strategic plan for the control of HIV/AIDS epidemic slated for presentation in December. A series of stakeholders forum aimed at examing the final draft of the document with a view to correcting errors identifying major issues that are missing or not captured, suggesting issues that should have been included and reaching agreement on a common format is currently being held at mariuels Hotel, Port Harcourt.
At one of the stakeholders forum Friday a United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Consultant and Coordinator of the meeting, Mr. Timi Owolabi advised the various thematic groups to ensure that all observations are taken care of in order to avoid loopholes that may jeopardise effective implementation of the plan.
Also speaking, the state HIV/AIDS Programme Manager, Dr. Chimeizi Okeh said that the objective of the meeting was to review the draft document and identify gaps as well as to give some insights on how the document will be developed. Other objectives, according to him, include, for stakeholders to come up with suggestion for improving the draft and to agree on the next steps or line of action for the document.
He further disclosed that SACA has mapped out line of activities to mark the forth coming world AIDS Day coming up December 1, 2006. “SACA has plans to inaugurate the HIV/AIDS treatment centre at Bori General Hospital, and the HIV/AIDS treatment centre at Ahoada General Hospital as part of activities to mark the world AIDS Day” Dr. Okeh said. He, however, emphasised the need for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to participate in the forth coming world AIDS Day which he said has to with March past at Sharks Football Stadium, Civic Centre, Port Harcourt as the rally point.