Hope for victims of sexual assault as Ayade inaugrates Centre
Emmanuel Alfred
Victims of sexual assault in Cross River State in Nigeria, now have a cause to rejoice as the State now has a referral Centre to deal with the case .
This is due to the fact that the First Lady of Cross River State, Dr Linda Ayade, inaugurated the Sexual Assault Referral Centre of the Heartland Alliance Limited in the State on Tuesday, December 13, 2022.
According to Dr. Ayade, who was represented by Dr. Janet Ekpenyong, the Director General, Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency, cases of sexual assaults were reported daily in the State and she expressed hope that the Centre would handle such cases effectively when reported by victims.
She also lauded Heartland Alliance for their support and contributions towards the sensitisation and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the state, adding that the State Government was ready to partner with the Centre with a view to helping it achieve its purpose.
Earlier, the Cross River Team Lead of Heartland Alliance, Dr Lawrence Ajayi, said that the organisation works at the intersection of health and human rights and to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care.
He also said that the main goal of the programme was to reduce HIV incidence, morbidity and mortality among key populations like persons with disabilities, transgenders, and persons in confined places amongst others.
“In all societies, women and girls have less power than men over their bodies, decisions, and resources,” he said.
“Gender Based Violence(GBV) is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world. It includes physical, sexual, mental or economic harm inflicted on a person because of socially ascribed power imbalances between males and females.
“In Cross River, the organisation works across the 18 Local Government Areas with focus on HIV prevention and other ancillary services which include trauma-informed mental health, psychosocial support services and HIV/AIDS services.
“Other services are sexual and reproductive health and rights, legal literacy and legal services, advocacies, GBV, prevention and treatment, capacity building among others.
“The Centre has qualified healthcare providers including clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, lawyers, mental health professionals, and paralegals who would provide post GBV care to survivors of violence at the one-stop shop,” he said.
Ajayi, however, said that the organisation is borne to provide confidential medical and practical support to survivors of sexual and GBV in an environment free of stigma and discrimination.
Newsdotafrica reports that the Centre by Heartland Alliance was timely in view of the many reported cases of Gender Based Violence and sexual assault in the State.
