The Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, on Wednesday, launched a campaign to fight HIV and substance abuse.
The campaign, entitled, ‘Sports for Life Project’, is supported by the Aids Healthcare Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation.
Prof. Obi explained that the campaign became necessary as the university has a population of more than 40,000 young and energetic persons out to explore.
She revealed that the university had partnered with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS to distribute condoms to students at its medical centre and to conduct HIV tests and counselling.
“I am particularly happy with AHF for adding a programme on substance abuse; this is because we have a place behind the school nicknamed ‘Cameroon’ where students go to engage in illicit drug abuse.
“From time to time, our security officials raid the place and apprehend some of the students, but we can’t send them away.
“We rehabilitate them because some of them go into drug abuse unknowingly and destroy their future.
“While I appeal for more partnerships with the institution through our Youth Hub, I call on students to identify with the many youth programmes of the school to make their lives better after graduation,’’ she said.
The Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Fund Management and Alumni Affairs of the university, Ms. Grace Ibor, noted that the Sports for Life Project was initiated to combine programmes targeted at adolescent health and development.
She said through sports, the varsity hopes to reach young people with specific behaviour-change messages to help them to adopt new lifestyles and shun dangerous behaviours.
“Young people take a lot of risks that expose them to HIV and AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, unplanned pregnancies, and addictive drug abuse that hinder their performance.
“Sports for Life will help these young people to get focused and be disciplined to have healthy, well-developed growth.
“Weekly inter-departmental sports tournaments will soon begin. Peer health educators that provide information and other linkages have been trained to help adolescents to answer their questions,’’ Ibor said.
She appealed for more support, stressing that the university needed to fix its sporting facilities to enable students to practice regularly to become better and to take their minds off dangerous behaviours.
Also speaking at the launch, State Clinical Coordinator for AHF in Cross River, Dr. Ifeanyi Udenkwo, said the NGO was supporting the varsity’s Youth Hub to establish an HIV-free generation.
He confirmed that AHF has a robust grant programme meant to assist partners in HIV and AIDS testing and counselling in hard-to-reach areas.
(NAN)
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