AIDS/STIs: Nigeria more committed to fighting pandemic now, says First Lady

*Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at the weekend, in Zimbabwe, highlights how the current administration’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ has rekindled hope in all spheres of life, including  fight against HIV/AIDS in the West African country

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of Nigeria, has stated despite the progress being made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, there is much more to be done.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that in spite of challenges militating against total success in the fight, there is still much hope.

She said this while speaking at the High Level Pre-Conference Meeting of the 22nd International Conference on AIDS and STI in Africa, ICASA organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, OAFLAD.

The 22nd ICASA Conference has as its theme, “AIDS is not over; Address inequalities, accelerate inclusion and innovation”.

Busola Kukoyi, Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, in a statement issued at the weekend, disclosed the of Nigerian First Lady explained that the sheer population of the country at over 200 million is a major challenge in the fight against the scourge.

According to her, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda has rekindled hope in all spheres of life in the nation, fight against HIV/AIDS inclusive.

“Although HIV/AIDS receives a lot of attention, Nigeria plans to achieve triple elimination of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis.

“I am going back to Nigeria, and I will meet with the First Ladies of the various states. We are getting to work.

“We are now more committed than ever. HIV/AIDS should have been long gone.”

The First Lady noted that the various challenges hindering greater progress in bringing the figures to the barest minimum including insecurity and stigmatisation would be addressed frontally.

She assured that as an advocate for girl child education, and with her Initiative, Renewed Hope Initiative, “we will find all, test all and treat all even before the deadline of 2030.”

Earlier, Dr. Auxillia Mnanagagwa, First Lady of the host country, Zimbabwe, noted that the men and male child must be included as an important community to help eliminate the scourge totally.

“Children living with HIV/AIDS deserve our best care and they have a right to be on child friendly anti- retroviral drugs.”

First Ladies of Botswana and Mozambique present shared their interventions in this regard in their countries alongside the representatives of First Ladies of Egypt, Burundi and Angola.

In her remarks, Winnie Byanyiwa, Executive Director of UNAIDS, appealed to the First Ladies, who she described as the most important community in the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission and the Elimination of New Infections.

Byanyiwa urged them to adopt the use of Science and Technology to achieve this.

“This is a winnable war,” she declared.

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