PROJECT PROPOSED FOR COMBATING HIV/ AIDS IN JIGAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Original Report

PROJECT PROSAL INRESPECT OF SEXUALITY AND PRODUCTIVE HEALTH
JIGAWA STATE NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION:

Jigawa state is in northern part of Nigeria, West Africa. Majority of the population are rural dwellers, female population outweigh male as this gender imbalances is characterized by gender discrimination cause as a result of low literacy rate, customary and religious beliefs.

Harmful health-related customary practices of female circumcisions, though not very rampant here, yet is practiced in some localities- among other practises contributed to ravaging gynecological diseases of Visico Virginal Fistula (VVF), dysuria etc thereby translating in some cases in to maternal morbidity and mortality.
Females in Jigawa are married at a very tender age of 13-17 years in some localities. This early marriage syndrome engages the feminine gender in to early child delivery attempt and thereafter, lack of good healthcare delivery results in to deadly gynecological diseases. The inability of the husbands, to allow their married ones attend maternity centres and hospitals for pre-and postnatal maternal healthcare services contributed in to failing health situations of pregnant women who usually die as a result of birth complications. This gender discrimination and violence against women is practices mainly with those of areas of ignorance and those who adhere to culture, norm and religious beliefs

Traditional, cultural and religious beliefs have weakened the mind of the teaming populace here and it seems any orthodox approach to solving any problem in health matters need a concerted approach.

For example the use of condom as preventive measures will irk the public here who see this approach as unethical, un Islamic and rather an encouraging rather than a preventive approach to solving the HIV/AIDS ravages.

THE JIHA APPROACH

In the past a lot of policies has been conceived by different stakeholders, approaches has been defined, and analysis has been done while solutions has been proffered aimed at tackling these problems in a multifaceted approaches but with little results.

We at JIHA sought to follow the modalities below with some alternative courses of action in ameliorating the problems:-

(A.)HIV /AIDS PENDEMIC

Compared to other states in Nigeria, Jigawa state is among those with low prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS endemic and is receiving a little attention by stake holders at maintaining this tempo. In order to reduce or maintain the status quo and In line with the millennium Development Goals, the JIHA approach on this issue are as follows:-

1. USE OF RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AS A TOOL FOR PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT
The Islamic and traditional/customary approaches via Islamic preachers and traditional rulers would be useful here as members will woo opinion leaders to assist in preaching abstinences to unsafe Sex and adultery as the best approach to HIV/AIDS prevention. While already fallen victims of these dreaded diseases will be counseled and people would be preached to stop stigmatizing them the Islamic way.

2. SPECIALTRAINING OF PROFESSIONALS AT THE LGA LEVEL

The professional members of JIHA would engage the services of other professionals within and arrange for training on the community leaders-professional trainee -participatory approach. In this regard, some chosen health professionals will liaise with traditional rulers and the Islamic scholars and engage in special training on the JIHA APPROACH. Under this alternative the health professionals will explain the orthodox of, for instance counseling, abstinence, preventive measures and cure and see the possibility of marrying those methods. Ideas or approaches that can be acceptable the traditional (unorthodox) way. This will continue to be practiced and encouraged throughout the twenty Seven (27) LGAs in the state.

2. MEDIA SENTISATION
The Islamists and the traditional rulers would be wooed, empowered and convinced to reach as far as the electronic media in tackling the problem by massive public awareness and enlightenment campaigns. Jingles will be aired periodically like religious sermons, and this would encourage the existing health practitioners with similar tasks to have sigh of relief and be bold enough to continue providing the needed services in the hitherto conservative locality.

Pamphlets and newsletters would be printed via this way in local Hausa vernacular and Arabic as electronic preaches would be written in to the CD and Audio cassettes and distributed to people. The local newspapers would be patronized for paid advertisement of these preaches and translated interpretations.

3.DISTRIBUTION OF ANTI RETROVAL DRUGS

The procurement and distribution of HIV anti-retroval drugs in Jigawa state as a remedy to already falling victims would be possible without necessarily the intervention of traditional rulers or religious/opinion leaders; however the distribution of these drugs through JIHA would help identify the best outlets.

The State Action Committee on Aids and similar International/national committees/bodies on AIDS would be contacted for liaison and would be vital as they will serve as a donating body while JIHA serve to collect and distribute drugs to eligible recipients through its centres under the programme.

Chosen distribution centers in hospitals and some designated localities with the aid of the community leaders/JIHA professionals would be of paramount importance in this regard.


(B)GENDER- BASED VIOLENCE AND MATERNAL MORTALITY

Diseases and lack of preventive measures in Jigawa consequent upon ignorance and poor sanitary conditions of the women in the predominantly rural state of Jigawa contributed in to the problem of violence and discrimination to women in this locality.

But JIHA would address this issue through enlightenment and media public sensitizations in local radios using the Hausa vernacular.

JIHA would also engage the services of professionals within it and from outside where possible for the purpose; while drugs would be procured and distributed free of charges to mothers, Counseling would be offered to target audience under the programme as counseling centres would be identified in some major hospitals within the state.

CONCLUSION

HIV her is seen and believed to have been a foreign disease manufactured from abroad aimed at depopulating a particular race or religion. Hence this our JIHA approach of using the community opinion leaders and molders would seriously change the perception of the target audience.



DRAFTED BY SANI IBRAHIMN

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