A two-day stepdown meeting on the operational modalities of the National Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) plan for HIV/AIDS response has ended in Umuahia, Abia State, with participants calling for its full implementation at the state level.
The meeting focused on familiarising stakeholders with the workings of CLM and Community System Strengthening (CSS) in addressing HIV/AIDS, while also creating space for contributions and assessments.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of Abia State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Uloaku Ukaegbu, represented by the agency’s Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Ndubuisi Kanu, said CLM is vital for an effective HIV/AIDS response, as it improves data collection, accountability, and feedback mechanisms. She pledged the state’s commitment to strengthening results-driven interventions.
Also, Mr. Richard Okoro, State Coordinator of ACOMIN, described CLM and CSS as participatory models that promote community ownership, accountability, and better data gathering in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. He stressed the need for government ownership through sustained funding.
Similarly, the Southeast Coordinator, Mr. White Ikeocha, noted that the framework unites stakeholders across the HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria response, which will enhance outcomes.
In her remarks, the State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Uche Nwokocha, represented by Mr. Uche Ahuaka, assured that the agency remains open to addressing human rights violations against people living with HIV/AIDS.
Mrs. Rebecca Eze, State Programme Coordinator of NEPWAN, added that proper implementation of the CLM and CSS, involving government and communities, would ensure sustainability in the health response.
The event also featured goodwill messages from the Greater Women Initiative, the TB Network, and other partners.
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