A frontline students’ body, the Akwa Ibom Female Students’
Association (AIFSA) Worldwide has flagged off its innovative campus-
based peer to peer health education program tagged ‘’Campus Health
Outreach’’ to benefit staff, students and host communities of tertiary
institutions in Akwa Ibom state.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially launch the project at the State
College of Education, Afaha Nsit yesterday (Friday), the President of
AIFSA Worldwide, Comrade Idongesit Micah asserted that the group is
inspired to launch the health project by the success stories of Her
Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette-Unoma Akpabio’s medical intervention
schemes through the Family Life Enhancement Initiative, adding that
they are encouraged to be associated with Global Relief and
Empowerment Initiative, a world class development agency in the
implementation of the health project. Said her, ‘’even as we are
functionally so concerned as students with our welfare and quality of
education, we are here and now demonstrating that we are equally
concerned with our health, that of our colleagues and that of our host
communities since it may logically operate to mean that a healthy
campus community will breed and deliver sound products’’.
Continuing, she stated that the ‘Campus Health Outreach project is an
integrated programme that features routine health screenings,
provision of drugs, kits and facilitation of training and capacity
development events, saying ‘’it is our firm belief and candid opinion
that the peer to peer health education model shall, as recommended
by the pre-event needs assessment study, leverage the impact of this
project on our target audience’’.
On his part, the Voluntary Services Coordinator of Global Relief and
Empowerment Initiative, Mr. Ubongabasi Amanam maintained that ‘’
as a socially responsible private sector development agency, our
Organization is providing the technical platform to sustain this
project as we appreciate the role of youth voluntary efforts in
sustainable community development’’, charging other development
partners to ‘’key in with a view to expanding the scope and content of
the campus health outreach’’.
The event which attracted a large turnout of staff, students and
members of the College host community featured a Talk shop on the
topic-Youth and Sexual and Reproductive Health issues, free
screening and testing for HIV, malaria and other sexually transmitted
infections.
Other highlights of the outreach campaign included Focused Group
Discussions on topical health subjects, distribution of testing kits,
treated nets, drugs and information, education and communication
materials.
Briefing newsmen on the sidelines of the outreach campaign, the
immediate past State Chairman of National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS), Comrade Uduak Nseabasi who led a powerful
delegation of student leaders to the event commended AIFSA
Worldwide and its international partners for thinking and acting in the
direction of a healthy campus community and wellbeing of great
Nigerian students. He called on Government at all levels to be
persuaded by the innovative efforts of students and put together a
comprehensive health insurance scheme for all Nigerians as health is
the pivot upon which other needs rests, saying ‘’it is possible, it can
be achieved, if our leaders can muscle the necessary and sincere
political will needed, we can achieve it, the students have
demonstrated it can work’’.
Association (AIFSA) Worldwide has flagged off its innovative campus-
based peer to peer health education program tagged ‘’Campus Health
Outreach’’ to benefit staff, students and host communities of tertiary
institutions in Akwa Ibom state.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially launch the project at the State
College of Education, Afaha Nsit yesterday (Friday), the President of
AIFSA Worldwide, Comrade Idongesit Micah asserted that the group is
inspired to launch the health project by the success stories of Her
Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette-Unoma Akpabio’s medical intervention
schemes through the Family Life Enhancement Initiative, adding that
they are encouraged to be associated with Global Relief and
Empowerment Initiative, a world class development agency in the
implementation of the health project. Said her, ‘’even as we are
functionally so concerned as students with our welfare and quality of
education, we are here and now demonstrating that we are equally
concerned with our health, that of our colleagues and that of our host
communities since it may logically operate to mean that a healthy
campus community will breed and deliver sound products’’.
Continuing, she stated that the ‘Campus Health Outreach project is an
integrated programme that features routine health screenings,
provision of drugs, kits and facilitation of training and capacity
development events, saying ‘’it is our firm belief and candid opinion
that the peer to peer health education model shall, as recommended
by the pre-event needs assessment study, leverage the impact of this
project on our target audience’’.
On his part, the Voluntary Services Coordinator of Global Relief and
Empowerment Initiative, Mr. Ubongabasi Amanam maintained that ‘’
as a socially responsible private sector development agency, our
Organization is providing the technical platform to sustain this
project as we appreciate the role of youth voluntary efforts in
sustainable community development’’, charging other development
partners to ‘’key in with a view to expanding the scope and content of
the campus health outreach’’.
The event which attracted a large turnout of staff, students and
members of the College host community featured a Talk shop on the
topic-Youth and Sexual and Reproductive Health issues, free
screening and testing for HIV, malaria and other sexually transmitted
infections.
Other highlights of the outreach campaign included Focused Group
Discussions on topical health subjects, distribution of testing kits,
treated nets, drugs and information, education and communication
materials.
Briefing newsmen on the sidelines of the outreach campaign, the
immediate past State Chairman of National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS), Comrade Uduak Nseabasi who led a powerful
delegation of student leaders to the event commended AIFSA
Worldwide and its international partners for thinking and acting in the
direction of a healthy campus community and wellbeing of great
Nigerian students. He called on Government at all levels to be
persuaded by the innovative efforts of students and put together a
comprehensive health insurance scheme for all Nigerians as health is
the pivot upon which other needs rests, saying ‘’it is possible, it can
be achieved, if our leaders can muscle the necessary and sincere
political will needed, we can achieve it, the students have
demonstrated it can work’’.
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