The Kwara State Government has restated its commitment to put in pla-:e necessary measures to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDs in the state to the barest minimum.

The Project Manager, Kwara State Aids Control Agency (KWASACA), Dr. Johnson Adegboyega Oyeniyi made this known recently at a work plan development workshop organized for Local Action Committee on Aids (LACA) and the line ministries by KWASACA in Ilorin, the state capital.

He said the state development strategic plan for 2012-2015 was conceived in line with the national strategic plan and the affected government agencies to develop their own work plan to reduce the spread of the virus in the state.

Oyeniyi added that the functions of the agencies are to generate data, analysis of fund back to the community for action, involvement of private health institutions and increase uptake of HCT.

Earlier, the Information Officer of KWASACA, Miss Sikeola Babatunde said the objectives of the workshop was to enable the participants to demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to develop a work plan, saying that this would afford them the opportunity to have requisite skills as managers and desk officers to serve as trainers and facilitators to other critical mass members.

Also speaking, the agency's monitoring and evaluation officer, Mallam Abdulkadir Abubakar stressed the need for harmonization of all planning to ensure that all branches work collectively to fight the scourge.

By Ahmed Lateef (The Herald)