AHF Partners ANSACA for Road Walk, Urges Anambra Residents to Embrace Responsible Condom Use

As part of efforts to curb new HIV infections, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, in collaboration with the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) and other partners, staged a road walk in Awka to commemorate the 2026 International Condom Day, observed annually on February 13.
The advocacy march attracted health workers, civil society organisations, development partners, and government officials. Participants moved through major streets of the state capital, distributing condoms and educating residents on responsible sexual behaviour as a critical strategy for preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Speaking during the event, the Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager of AHF Nigeria, Steve Aborishade, described the initiative as part of AHF’s global campaign to reduce new HIV infections and expand access to prevention services.
“AHF is the largest global AIDS organisation. We operate in 47 countries and currently provide care and treatment to over 2.7 million people worldwide. In Africa, we are present in 14 countries, including Nigeria. Anambra is one of the states where we support HIV testing and treatment services,” he said.
Aborishade explained that International Condom Day was introduced by AHF as an innovative advocacy platform to promote safer sex practices and raise awareness about the importance of condoms in HIV prevention.
“There is a need for people to take deliberate steps to protect themselves from HIV and other STIs. The condom remains one of the most effective, accessible, and affordable prevention tools available. If we are serious about ending AIDS in our country and across the continent, we must prioritise stopping new infections,” he stated.
Thousands of AHF-branded condoms were distributed during the walk, reinforcing the message that HIV is preventable, particularly when individuals avoid unprotected sexual intercourse and adopt safer practices.
In her remarks, AHF Anambra State Coordinator, Vivian Sunday, emphasised the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in addressing the HIV epidemic.
“We cannot tackle this epidemic alone. That is why we partner with government institutions and non-governmental organisations, including ANSACA, the State AIDS and STI Prevention Unit, the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS, Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, the Police Action Committee on AIDS, and other community-based organisations,” she said.
Sunday cited data from the 2018 Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), which puts Anambra State’s HIV prevalence rate at 2.4 per cent — the highest in the South-East region.

“With this data, sustained public education on responsible living becomes imperative. Abstinence remains the most effective prevention method. Mutual faithfulness between uninfected partners is another key strategy, while correct and consistent condom use provides essential protection,” she noted.
She further clarified that the condom campaign does not promote promiscuity but rather encourages informed and responsible decision-making aimed at preventing HIV transmission and unintended pregnancies.
Also speaking, the Project Manager of ANSACA, Johnbosco Ementa, reaffirmed the Anambra State Government’s commitment to strengthening HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
“As the agency coordinating the multisectoral HIV response in Anambra, we work closely with partners such as AHF, which provides free HIV testing, treatment, condoms, and other preventive services across the state,” he said.
Ementa described International Condom Day as an important platform for reinforcing prevention messages, particularly among young people and other vulnerable groups.
“Correct and consistent condom use significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission. Prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than treatment. Our goal is to reduce new infections to the barest minimum and achieve epidemic control in Anambra State,” he added.
He further disclosed that condoms are available free of charge in public health facilities and can also be purchased at affordable prices in pharmacies and through patent medicine vendors across the state, ensuring widespread access for residents.