From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has reiterated the commitment of African First Ladies to fight against HIV/AIDS on the continent.
According to a statement issued by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady stated this at the High Level Pre-Conference Meeting of the 22nd International Conference on AIDS and STI in Africa (ICASA) organized 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”.
Mrs. Tinubu noted that notwithstanding the progress made against the scourge, there is much more to be done.
She also pointed out that despite the challenges militating against total success in the fight, there is still a lot of hope.
The 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.
She stressed that her husband, President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has rekindled hope in all spheres of life in the nation, inclusive of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“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 stigmatization 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, the First Lady of the host country, Zimbabwe, Auxillia Mnanagagwa 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, Neo Jane Masisi and Mozambique, Isaura Gonçalo Ferrão Nyusi, shared their interventions as it concerns their countries, alongside the representatives of First Ladies of Egypt, Burundi and Angola.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyiwa 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, . to adopt the use of Science and Technology to achieve result, saying: “This is a winnable war”.