As part of measures to reduce the prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS, enhance the uptake of family planning and reproductive health, the Ogun State Government has set up a 25-man committee on the inclusion of Inter-Personal Communication (IPC) strategy into the curriculum of the School of Health Technology, Ilese.

 Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka dropped this hint in Abeokuta at a stakeholders’ forum jointly organized by the State government in collaboration with the Enhancing Nigeria’s Response to HIV and Aids (ENR) and the Society for Family Health (SFH).

The Commissioner stated that with the inclusion of the strategy in school’s curriculum, students would be trained adequately to reach out to members of the larger society on the ways of preventing new infections and enhancing reproductive health.

Soyinka explained that government was thinking along this line because experience had shown that interpersonal communication was a potent force of disseminating and transmitting new ideas, pointing out that the school system remained a veritable channel of getting this done, particularly among students.

“If a person is well-informed, motivated to act and they have skills and confidence to take action, they are likely to initiate and maintain health promoting behaviors that produce positive outcome,” Soyinka stated.

 He reiterated that the state government’s commitment to the provision of affordable healthcare system remained unwavering, adding that it would stop at nothing to bring down the prevalence rate of HIV and enhance reproductive health.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Ambali Ishola represented by the Ministry’s Desk Officer, Mrs. Sola Onayiga said that institutionalizing the inter-personal communication strategy would make the student better prepared for the diverse challenges of working in a competitive labour market.

In his remarks, the representative of Enhancing Nigeria’s Response to HIV/AIDS (ENR), Mr. Lanre Kayode said that the strategy would aid effective data collection and collation on health related matters, adding that strong networking among implementers would help in the sustenance of behavioral change.

Presenting the epidemiology report of HIV in the State, Director of the Agency for the control of AIDS (OGUNSACA) Dr. Kehinde Fatungase said the introduction of IPC would help increasing the uptake of HIV counseling and testing which presently is low in the State.

On her part, the Director, Primary Healthcare in the State, Dr. Kafayat Lawal pointed out that IPC would be a ready tool for implementing the Community Based health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS) adding that it would equally strengthen health system in the State.