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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
A non-governmental organisation, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has trained women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as well as traditional birth attendants on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
AHF Country Director, Dr. Echey Ijezie, who spoke during the one-day training workshop for participants across the six area councils of the FCT, said the training would be replicated across all states of the federation to encourage women overcome stigma and access treatment free of charge.
He explained that the initiative, which is under the Mentor Mother programme to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmissions (PMTCT) of HIV, is aimed at training mentor mothers and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) in preventing transmission of HIV to infants.
“We want to generate a good network of mentor mothers who benefitted from the prevention, treatment and care services given to HIV positive pregnant women. We are doing this across states of the federation by identifying mentor mothers to work in communities, and as they work in communities, they encourage other mothers to access free treatment.
“Free treatment is given to all women living with the virus to protect their unborn children. The essence is to have a generation of children that are HIV-free,” Ijezie said.
He stated that AHF has also trained some mentor mothers in Anambra, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Cross River and the FCT to support and counsel HIV positive women in overcoming stigmatisation and to access healthcare.
Speaking, the Advocacy and Marketing Manager of AHF Nigeria, Mr Steve Aborisade, noted the gaps in the HIV delivery system and harped on the need for treatment to prevent having children with HIV in the country.
The states Nursing Coordinator, AHF Nigeria, Mrs. Christy Awunor, identified the role of mentor mothers as that of supporting during antenatal care, HIV testing, care and treatment services for newly diagnosed HIV positive pregnant women. She clarified that mentor mothers are HIV positive mothers who were once pregnant and have HIV-free babies.
