CONCERNED OTHERS:

Concerned others is a non–political, not–for– profit making, non–government organisation (NGO) and association of medical practitioners, health workers, social workers and volunteers inaugurated in 2000, the organization is irrevocably committed to prevention, impact mitigation of HIV/AIDs, drug abuse and also improve the reproduction health (RH) status of Nigeria.

 

VISION:

Nigeria communities that are free of HIV/AIDS, Drug Abuse with its social evils and enjoy best family and reproductive health (RH).

 

MISSION:
To promote improved quality of health of youths, women and other through community development and other intervention programmes thereby enhancing human, social and economic development.

 

OBJECTIVES:

• To raise level of awareness on Hiv/Aids stls and drug abuse prevention.
• Mobilize and counsel the youth to their vulnerability to increase scourge of Hiv/Aids.
• To provide information, education and skill development to the youths and adolescent both in and out of school for safe and positive behaviour to prevent Hiv/Aids
• Provide reproductive health care sex works (FSWs) adolescent mothers etc.
• To support and care for youth and adolescents with difficult health problem e.g people living with Hiv/Aids (PLWHAs) PABA and their rights.
• To undertake advocacy on Hiv/Aids, Drug Abuse and RH related issues.
• Conduct research on health, family planning (FP) and woman empowerment.

 

PROJECT:

HIV prevalence in Nigeria is 4.4% and ouo state 1.8%.

• HIV prevalence among FSWs is 50% (FMOH, 2003).
• Ekotedo/iya – olode/salvation Army in Ibadan North West LGA noted for Age – long commercial sex activities.
• “CONCERNED OTHERS” and its health care centre (Queen’s Specialist Hospital) are Located within 2 Km radius indentified 10 brothels housing about 500 FSWs – Target group and providing health care service to the community for almost 2 decades (since 1988).

 

GOALS:

To promote the adoption of positive behaviour for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and promote management of STI cases amongst the female sex workers, their partners and client and community members of Ekotedo area of Ibadan North – West Local Government area.

 

 

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

• To increase the knowledge of the FSWs on HIV/AIDS/STI prevention though the use peer Education approach.
• To equip the FSWs with the skills required for HIV/AIDS/STI prevention viz condom Negotiation, 100% condom use etc.
• To develop and distribute culturally sensitive IEC materials that would be widely acceptable by FSWs and their other members of project community.
• To provide quality HIV/AIDS counselling and STI syndromic management service to FSWs and their partners in the community with a view to reducing their vulnerability.
•   To provide quality family planning and dual projection service to the FSWs in the project community as consequences of unplanned family result in vicious cycle of poverty enhancing prostitution.
• To promote social marketing of male condom amongst the FSWs and their partner in the project community thereby increasing the accessibility and acceptability.

 

 

STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:

 

• Advocacy.
• Baseline survey – behavioural surveillance survey (BSS)
• IEC development and distribution.
• Train (HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, family planning  peer education training).
• Provision of services.
• Counselling on family planning and STIs, HIV/AIDS prevention.
• STI syndromic management.
• Family planning service with emphasis on dual protection.
• outreach service peer education and condom social marketing and non prescriptive family planning commodities.
• monthly monitoring and supervision meeting
• final project evaluations.

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1. Behaviour change: increase in ability of FSWs to negotiate for safer sex through use of condom for every sex act with partners and client – 100% condom use.
2. Change is STIs trend: increase in the proportion of proper treatment of STIs and decrease in STIs increase.
3. Community response: reduce stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the entire country
Recommendations.

4. Funding: urgent need to continue and scale – up project.
5. Replicate project: in other L.G.A. with high commercial sex activities e.g South East, south west,, akinyele etc.
6. Girl child empowerment.
4. VCCT centres: in every L.G.A.