Janet Ogundepo
The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency has strengthened the capacity of peer educators and community representatives as part of efforts to improve community-led interventions in the state’s HIV response.
The Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Dr Folakemi Animashaun, stated this on Tuesday at a two-day Peer Educator Capacity Strengthening Meeting held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ikeja.
In a statement sent to PUNCH Healthwise, Animashaun described peer educators as a critical link between communities and available HIV services, noting that effective HIV programmes must extend beyond health facilities to the communities where people live, work and make decisions about their health.
She said peer educators play important roles in providing accurate HIV information, addressing misconceptions, promoting HIV prevention and testing, supporting referrals and linkage to care, and encouraging treatment adherence and retention.
She noted that the two-day engagement was designed to strengthen and standardise participants’ practical knowledge and skills in HIV prevention, testing services, treatment literacy, referral and linkage pathways, adherence support, community mobilisation, confidentiality, documentation and effective communication.
Animashaun said the diversity of participants provided an opportunity to strengthen individual capacities, improve coordination among community structures and deepen understanding of the barriers faced by people living with HIV and populations disproportionately affected by HIV.
She urged participants to share their field experiences, identify persistent barriers to service access and develop practical solutions to improve community-level interventions, referral mechanisms and service delivery.
The LSACA chief also stressed the importance of listening to community networks and peer educators, saying their experiences and feedback were essential to effective programme planning, implementation and continuous improvement.
She placed particular emphasis on adolescents and young people living with HIV, noting that peer support could help them understand their treatment, remain engaged in care, overcome stigma and psychosocial challenges, and achieve viral suppression.
Animashaun urged peer educators to maintain professionalism, empathy, respect and confidentiality in their interactions, while recognising the limits of their roles and referring clinical or specialised concerns to qualified service providers.
She commended the Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for its continued commitment to health-system strengthening and improved access to quality healthcare services.
She also appreciated implementing partners, community networks, civil society organisations, peer educators and other stakeholders for their contributions to strengthening the HIV response in Lagos State.
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