Abuja – The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) says it welcomes the commitment expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari towards ending AIDS by 2030.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, National Information Officer, UN Information Centre, on Wednesday.
The statement quoted UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria and UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS, Mr Bilali Camara, as pledging support to Buhari’s call to action to end the dreaded disease.
“We welcome His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari’s call to action to end AIDS by 2030.
“We are looking forward to supporting government efforts at Federal and State levels to free Nigeria from the AIDS epidemic,” Camara said.
The statement noted Buhari’s address at a side-event at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 25, where he called for “working together to make HIV and AIDS history by 2030”.
It also stated that Buhari pointed out that the Sub-Saharan Africa bore a disproportionate burden of the AIDS epidemic.
“The good news is that the effort of the global community has resulted in greater control, less spread and better management,” Buhari said.
It said the side-event, held to discuss the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, was moderated by the Director-General, National Action for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko.
“At the event, NACA and UNAIDS showcased Pampaida in Kaduna State as a role model for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
“This village achieved the total elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 2015,” the statement said.
It quoted the UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe, as saying that Nigeria could lead the way in efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
“We should expand the Kaduna model to all 12+1 high burden states of Nigeria where 70 per cent of all HIV positive pregnant women and new HIV infections exist,” Sidibe said.
The statement said participants from Nigeria included representatives from NACA, Federal Ministry of Health, state governors and commissioners.
It added that partner representatives included the UNFPA Executive Director, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, and senior management members from UNAIDS and UNICEF.
According to it, the Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Mark Dybul, was also among the partner representatives.