Figure Above: Esther Aremu now with her good Samaritan, Mrs Olayemi Aremu.
Esther Aremu was a bag of bones when she arrived Adeoyo Government Hospital in Ibadan in June 2021. Her father, a palm wine tapper, had no money to support her feeding or treatment. Her mother had died shortly after Esther was born. Esther’s Good Samaritan, Mrs Olayemi Aremu, had limited resources too – she had already spent money on feeding and caring for the malnourished baby.
Figure Above: Maternity Home Owner, Mrs. Yaro taking record of a pregnant woman.
To increase access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services by women in communities, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has engaged traditional birth attendants and maternity homes to screen for HIV and provide referral services. More than 100 of them have begun providing these services in the Federal Capital Territory; Rivers, Nasarawa and Katsina States.
Figure Above: D.R.E.A.M.S club meeting in progress at Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Girls below the age of 18 in Nigeria face challenges such as harmful cultural practices, gender-based violence, early marriage, early pregnancy and exploitation. These harms deter and limit them from achieving their full potentials. To promote gender equity and advocate for social change in the community, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing a project to bring girls together in clubs. The goal of the D.R.E.A.M.S girls club is to groom girls to be Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS Free, Mentored and Safe.
Figure Above: A Patent Medicine Vendor, Mr. Peter Audu, interacting with customers in his store in Nasarawa State.
When Augustine Ogar, a construction worker, started losing weight, coughing and feeling constantly weak, neighbors and friends advised him to take some drugs. He walked into a pharmacy to buy antibiotics and started taking them.
Figure Above: Community Volunteer, Halima Abdulraman walking into a home to provide nutrition services in Fagge Local Government Area.
“Some women do not understand that colostrum is good for their babies. They prefer to give newly born babies goat milk. Many don’t know how to position their babies while breastfeeding. These gaps affect the health of babies,” says community health worker, Maimuna Baba.