Chima Azubuike
The Association of Women Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Gombe state Chapter, has appealed to the Federal Government to engage them in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmissions campaign to curb spread the of the scourge.
They made the appeal while commemorating the 2024 International Women’s Day themed ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress’.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that IWD2024 is a global celebration earmarked to recognise women and girls in their diversity, to celebrate their achievements and to amplify their voices in advocating for equity and justice to compete favourably with their male counterparts.
Addressing members, the state Coordinator, Margaret Maisanda, said if ASWHAN is involved in the PMTCT programme, implementation and service delivery results would be achieved.
She noted that the association would serve as mentors, stressing that they can prevent transmission.
The coordinator said, “Make ASWHAN the face of PMTCT in Nigeria to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV, so no child should be born with HIV. The burden lies with us, make ASWHAN partners in this fight.
“We are calling on Global Fund, the PMTCT Implementing Partners to include ASWHAN in the GC7 PMTCT implementation, we are the mentor mothers, we carry the pregnancy and we deliver the children in the labour rooms. We are the only ones that can prevent the transmission. Only a mother can protect her baby with her life.
“This year´s International Women’s Day theme, which is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ is appropriate in the right direction as it focuses on investment in terms of financing HIV programmes that will better the lives and well-being of women and girls.”
Maisanda called on the government, donors national and international organisations and all relevant stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to accelerate investment in HIV programmes for women.
“We call on small and medium enterprise organisations to include ASWHAN in their skills acquisition and economic empowerment programmes, to train our women on different business skills, support them with small grants to boost their businesses and support us to form cooperatives.
“We want our women to be economically empowered. Women Living With HIV are suffering with no source of income and are burdened with children and other dependents to take care of.
“Support ASWHAN with economic empowerment and life-building skills to empower women living with HIV to live a decent and productive life. Out of the 1.6 million people living with HIV in Nigeria, 56 per cent are women. Please support us to alleviate poverty among WLWH.”
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