The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday in Kaduna, inaugurated the Free To Shine campaign, an initiative of the Organisation of African First Ladies (OFLAD) aimed at eliminating HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, and Hepatitis infections.
The campaign is an advocacy initiative led by the African Union (AU), OAFLAD, and global partners among women of representative age.
The campaign is also aimed at protecting children and women in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign is to help address the growing complacency in the response to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The first lady said that Nigeria shared the highest HIV burden in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among the youth, women, and children.
She attributed the development partly to the rise in population.
“To complement the Free to Shine Campaign, I have also decided to advocate for the Triple Elimination of HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, and Hepatitis by 2030.
“This Campaign will cover the six geopolitical zones of the nation.
“We launched the maiden campaign for the North-Central zone in Kwara State and today we are flagging off the Campaign in Kaduna State for the North-West zone. By the grace of God, the next zone to benefit will be the South-South.
“The campaign seeks to significantly reduce new HIV infections among women of reproductive age, prevent mother-to-child transmission (vertical transmission), and ensure that every child born with HIV receives the necessary treatment and support to thrive,” she said.
During her visit on Monday, Mrs Tinubu distributed professional medical kits to midwives across the states in the North West zone of the country where she donated 50 million naira to support petty traders in the area.
The first lady who was accompanied on the trip to Kaduna by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, was warmly received at the Kaduna Air Force Base by Gov. Uba Sani and other dignitaries such as traditional rulers and religious leaders.
In his remarks during the inauguration of the Free To Shine campaign, Sani said that the state government would support Mrs Tinubu’s effort at uplifting the lives of Nigerian women by ensuring that the aim of the campaign is achieved in the state.
He also promised that the state’s Ministry of Health would ensure that more attention is accorded to sensitisation programmes and treatment of victims of the infections. (NAN)
