During a recent ENR conference to build the capacity of local community service organizations, I found myself sitting on a bench in a shed that was a resting spot for transport drivers. We were in Benue state and it was hot – close to 38℃. Besides the scorching heat, Benue is also widely recognized as the state with the highest HIV prevalence rate, close to 7%, according to Nigeria’s National HIV & AIDS Reproductive Health Survey.
Project leaders from states around the country were about to conduct a survey to evaluate the knowledge of this “high risk” group. This practice focus group would test the project leaders’ ability to create conversation, draw answers from participants, and facilitate a discussion. Since research showed most of the new HIV cases from Benue result from transport workers, and since the state had a series of major transport hubs, we were all keen to hear the answers from this group
I was stunned by how much they knew. They could not only list different STIs, but also the symptoms and where to get them treated.
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