The HIV and AIDS pandemic is said to have claimed more than 20 million lives worldwide in the past 20 years.
It is estimated that some 40 million people are infected with the virus, with a large proportion of them occurring in Africa.
According to UNAIDS, the UN agency responsible for global action on HIV and AIDS, around 30.8 million adults are living with the virus.
Of this figure, some 15.4 million are women, most of them living in developing countries.
Besides, HIV and AIDS is believed to be the greatest threat to Africa ‘s development.
It is also estimated that 3.4 million people in Nigeria are living with HIV and AIDS, with women and girls accounting for five per cent.
Experts say that the highest prevalence rate of 5.4 per cent is found among females aged between 20 years and 24 years.
It is further estimated that more than 60 per cent of new HIV infections occur among young people between 15 years and 25 years.
Of serious concern also is the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
Experts say that with this gloomy scenario,there is no doubt that HIV is exerting a tremendous effect on the nation’s womenfolk.
Government at all levels in the country as well as donor agencies say the figure are alarming and constitute a serious socio-economic problem.
For analysts, the susceptibility of women to HIV and AIDS infection is made worse by the fact that they also bear the burden of care and support for families.
There is ample evidence to show that African women lack equitable access to economic opportunities even as the girl-child continues to be denied equal educational opportunities.
The situation of HIV-positive people, especially women and girls, is worsened by the lack of respect for their fundamental human rights, the analysts say.
They note that the scenario is unacceptable.
Against the backdrop of this concern, the three tiers of government are collaborating with other stakeholders to combat the scourge.
The local agencies on ground in the campaign against HIV and AIDS include the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA)and its counterparts in the various states,known as SACAs.
The international organisations include the various UN agencies such as UNAIDS,UNICEF and the WHO.
The various international donor agencies and non-governmental organisations are also collaborating with governments to provide advocacy programmes on HIV and AIDS.
Concerned about the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS, particularly on women and children, the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua,launched her pet project, the National Women Coalition Against AIDS (NAWOCA).
NAWOCA is designed to challenge the deadly monster, AIDS, in a formidable way.
Launching NAWOCA recently in Ado-Ekiti,Turai said it should be seen as a platform of action that provided a unique chance to make a difference.
“It is an instrument of engaging women in a very positive manner to serve as foot soldiers within their communities in the multifaceted fight against HIV and AIDS,” she said.
For many stakeholders in the campaign against HIV and AIDS, the pertinent question is how to contain the impact of the pandemic on women and girls.
What strategies are there to transform the lives of this vulnerable group and make the women and girls less susceptible to HIV and AIDS?
For Turai, “empowered women and their leaders can easily confront and solve the socio-economic problems of our country.
“Wives of governors and local government chairmen should therefore use the platform of NAWOCA in their areas to transform the lives of women and children, particularly in their great battle against HIV and AIDS.
“As mothers and leaders, we must take the lead in this battle until victory is won.
“This is the only way we can complement the efforts of the current administration in the implementation of its numerous programmes to fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS on our land.”
Many analysts are of the view that NAWOCA is a child of circumstance, occasioned by the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
They also hold the view that NAWOCA can provide a unified advocacy to address the disproportionate vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and AIDS infection.
“It is indeed an acceptable reality that HIV and AIDS is increasingly taking the face of women and girls in our society.
“The fight against HIV and AIDS is for all us. We must commit our energy, resources and time to fight the disease for the benefit of our families, communities and the country at large.
“I implore government at all levels, relevant agencies and non-governmental organisationsto assist the chairperson of NAWOCA branches at all levels in order to achieve the desired results, Turai appealed.
Reeling off figures on the pandemic in the country, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin,
NACA’s Director-General, said the South-West zone had the lowest rate of AIDS in the country.
According to him, Ekiti State has the lowest rate of 1.6 per cent.
“There are two aspects of HIV and AIDS —the recognition of the people who are infected and the prevention of those who are not infected from being infected,’’ he said.
But analyst say the major causes of HIV and AIDS are poverty, the lack of education and other social infrastructure as well as broken families.
They say the campaign against the scourge should lay emphasis on prevention which, they observe, is better and cheaper than seeking a cure after infection.
For the Ekiti Governor, Mr Segun Oni, “NAWOCA is a gender sensitive life-saving project on a national scale to fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS in the country.’’
Oni pledged his support and that of his administration to the cause of NAWOCA.
“That you have chosen to champion this cause for the sake of millions of Nigerian women who are more vulnerable to the devastating HIV and AIDS scourge is a practical demonstration of your caring nature and love for humanity.
“Your Excellency, we share your vision in this regard, and we are determinedly committed to contribute our quota, without reservation, to the success of this laudable pet protect of yours,’’ he pledged to the First Lady.
As governments and the various stakeholders mobilise resources to contain the pandemic, it behoves everyone to join hands to stamp it out.
Experts say that an AIDS-free society is critical to achieving a strong, healthy and development-oriented youth population for meeting Nigeria’s vision of becoming one of the top 20 global economies by 2020.
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