NACA to hold conference on HIV prevention in Nigeria

The National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) has announced it would host a National scientific Conference on HIV prevention to showcase the achievements of the AIDS response in Nigeria.

The agency made the announcement through a press statement released Wednesday.

The Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference 2016, which will take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on November 29 and 30, has the theme “Hands on for HIV prevention”, which signifies that Nigeria’s national response aligns with the present global direction of increasing HIV prevention efforts.

The chairperson of the organizing committee of the conference, Akudo Ikpeazu, said participants would be drawn from all sectors, including government, business, community, civil society and the academia.

“The Nigeria HIV Prevention Conference 2016 will bring together a range of experts to advance knowledge, present new research findings, as well as promote and enhance scientific and community collaborations”, Mr. Ikpeazu was quoted in the statement by the agency.

“It will also be a platform for discussions on development of new strategies for addressing HIV, especially in the area of HIV prevention.

“It is my hope that participants will all take advantage of the conference and the opportunities it presents for networking, forming new collaborations and strengthening old partnerships to strengthen HIV prevention efforts”, Mr. Ikpeazu said.

He added that keynote speakers had been invited from within and outside the country for the meeting.

“Some of the guest speakers include Loannis Hodges -Mameletzis A consultant on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV Department at World Health Organization, and Nelly Mugo who will be speaking on ‘Partners PrEP study outcomes and implications for ending HIV by 2030’.”

The acting Director General for National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Kayode Ogungbemi, revealed that over 250 participants had already concluded the registration process for the conference.

He encouraged intending participants to register online through the Conference’s website: http://www.hivprevention2016.com.ng/

“To facilitate our planning, registration for participation in the Conference is already underway. I am encouraging any interested individual to visit the Conference’s website and register for this important event as soon as possible”, Mr. Ogungbemi said.