The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has described as embarrassing and unacceptable the prevalence of HIV in Nigeria, saying the statistics on the spread of the virus and the demography mostly affected was alarming.
She said her findings revealed that children contribute 23 per cent of new HIV infections in Nigeria.
Speaking when she received the wives of governors and the Federal Capital Territory representative at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, she urged them to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for good governance across the country.
She stated, “It has become imperative for us to have this forum so that I can update you on issues, especially as they affect our nation.
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“Some of the things I discovered were that HIV/AIDS is still very prevalent in Nigeria. Estimates from the 2023 Spectrum by the Ministry of Health, the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey revealed that about 1.98 million persons are living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
“Adults aged 15 years and above make up about 1.8 million of People Living with HIV, of which 1.1million are adult women; equally, one in seven babies born in the world is a Nigerian Child.
“Underscoring the significance of the nation’s role in the global fight against AIDS, children contribute 23 per cent of new HIV infections in Nigeria, almost four times more than the eight per cent contribution of key populations according to Mode of Transmission Study. These statistics are alarming, embarrassing and unacceptable.”
She called for concerted efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the country, saying she was working with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, on how to increase advocacy on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
She noted, “I got the agreement of the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, on a partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative to increase advocacy on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, also working with wives of governors to ensure that Nigeria achieves an end to HIV/AIDS by year 2030.
“We must come together with a unifying message to fight this hydra-headed monster and save the future of our nation. We did it during the Ebola Virus and Covid-19 pandemic.
“As the theme for the 2023 World AIDS Day indicates: ‘Let Communities Lead’, we will be taking the advocacy to our traditional rulers, religious leaders of various faiths, community leaders, educational institutions and every nook and cranny of the nation.”
Before going into a closed-door meeting with the governors’ wives, she said it was imperative for governors, especially those in opposition parties, to work with the president’s agenda to tackle issues affecting the citizenry. She lauded the first ladies for their personal projects and initiatives in their various states to assist the vulnerable in the society.
She said part of the reasons she called for the meeting was to update the forum and share with them her experiences from her trips to other nations as “such will help me to position myself appropriately for the task ahead”.
According to her, the President has secured grants from the Global Fund for the provision of HIV testing kits for adults and dual testing kits for HIV and Syphilis for pregnant women across the country.
