ST. PHILEMON'S CORNER

  Throughout the world HIV/AIDS is known to be the major contending disease against human lives. This killer disease has been able to find its way in to every nook and crannies f human lives. So much that even AIDS fighters like Doctors, Nurses, Laboratory scientists, who supposedly have greater awareness of this giant killer are not spared in being infected. Innocent children born to HIV/AIDS free parents are now found to be living with HIV.

  The recent development in HIV/AIDS research has it that HIV virus can now be found in every fluid of the body such as sweat, urine, faeces, saliva, etc in addition to the formerly held view of HIV to reside in blood, semen, serum, vagina discharge, menstrual blood and breast milk. This will of course cause a tight thinking human to really consider that we are actually living in the end age with nobody coming up with the cure.

  In Nigeria, ever since this virus was discovered, it has been growing at alarming rate. Nigeria being identified as one of the poverty stricken in Africa, the spread of HIV is now growing at exponential rate. Reports from NACA, WHO, USAIDS, show that one person per minute becomes HIV positive; one to two in every ten pregnant women gives birth to HIV children. The reports further suggest that every one hour, a Nigerian dies of AIDS while one in every ten has HIV virus. All these point out that soon Nigeria may be declared as endemic area like other countries with serious cases of HIV/AIDS epidemics.

  Several factors have been identified as to such widespread in Nigeria, with poverty leading as it compels youths into prostitution with the disease reported to be rampant among youths. Other factors include non-challant attitudes and stigmatization. However, the various campaigns by several bodies have successfully reduced the spread through sex. This was revealed that sex, which initially accounted for 96% spread of HIV/AIDS, is now 65%.

Yet, there exists an important factor to be considered, as it is reported now to be the major channel through innocent youths and children are infected with this killer virus. Barbing Salon in Nigeria is now identified as the recent way by which this virus is contracted. Recent research shows that barbing salon accounts for 44% spread of HIV, with six o eleven people becoming infected from salon daily. This calls for attention of government in ensuring use of sterilized and controlled equipment in our salons.

In developed countries like US, every salon is registered, with the equipments checked and individuals meeting the requirements of the regulatory body in charge. There is also a routine checking of all registered equipments to ensure the use of the registered equipments. Failure to do so, amount to closure of such salon.

It is high time therefore, for our government to wake up too their responsibility of safe guarding the health of the people especially in this area f HIV/AIDS being spread through the careless use of unsterilised equipments in our salons. This will show a total commitment of government in fighting HIV/AIDS, with the people living in awareness of and abstainity from HIV/AIDS.