By Asmau Ahmad
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has donated 72,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, said that NACA provided the kits to support the scheme in conducting a successful 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II orientation exercise.
Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, said in a statement that the scheme received the RDT kits during a courtesy visit on Dr Gambo Aliyu, the NACA Director-General in Abuja.
The 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II orientation is scheduled to commence on September 1.
“The NYSC commends NACA over the release of 72,000 COVID-19 RDT test kits towards the success of the forthcoming 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II orientation.
“The NYSC is the only agency where all prospective corps members and other camp participants are tested for COVID-19 before entering the camps.
“Only those that test negative are allowed into the camps, while those that test positive are taken away by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and state health officials for treatment.
“This has availed the NCDC and the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 the opportunity to provide proper data analysis of COVID-19 in the country.”
The NYSC director-general assured corps members in NACA Community Development Service (CDS) Group of better welfare, urging them to continue to support COVID-19 sensitisation across the country.
“The NYSC will continue to build a stronger synergy with NACA. I commend the corps members in NACA CDS Group for sensitising Nigerians on the scourge and dangers of HIV/AIDS.
“I assure you of enhanced welfare package and admonish you to always contribute your quota to national development as you serve as good ambassadors of the NYSC.”
The NACA director-general said that HIV/AIDS transmission in Nigeria remained active among youths aged 22 to 25 years.
Aliyu said that to address the trend and achieve an effective healthcare system in Nigeria, the agency and the NYSC needed to work together as critical stakeholders.
He called for a stronger synergy between the two agencies to help manage the spread of deadly viruses by using corps members to carry out sensitisation across the country.
“We have been working with the NYSC for some time and this is the time when we need to have a renewed vigor in our efforts to work jointly to control the spread of HIV in Nigeria,” Aliyu said.
