GSU Student Secures 50,000 Free Oraquick HIV Test Kits for Nigeria

Segun Awofadeji

A 500-level medical student of the Gombe State University (GSU), Ibrahim Mohammed Bello, has secured over 50,000 Oraquick HIV test kits for distribution across Nigeria.
Suleiman Babayo Gidado, a member of the Nigeria Youth Parliament representing Gombe North, said the effort was successful following the Nigeria Medical Students Association partnership.
Making the presentation of over 3,000 kits for Gombe through the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, Ibrahim Mohammed, who is also the National Director for the Standing Committee for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including HIV and AIDS of the Nigeria Medical Students Association yesterday said the commodity is to be distributed free.
Bello said, during a meeting, he was able to convince an NGO, DKT International Nigeria, whose aim is to reduce maternal mortality, to give out over 50,000 HIV Oraquick screening test kits.
He said they were moving to primary health centres in Gombe to demonstrate and distribute the commodity together with a questionnaire to assess the health situation in that part of the state.
Receiving the commodities and inaugurating them on behalf of the government, Dahiru expressed delight that one of their sons took the initiative to get the commodity for the common good of all.
He explained that it will go a long way in improving health care delivery in Gombe because “if you know your status, we will now get you counselled, and it will reduce the spread.”
“It will also reduce mother to child transmission, and it will drastically reduce the burden on the society. So, testing is key. You have to know the status before you know what to do in the case of managing it to reduce its spread,” he maintained.