HIV/AIDS: Nigeria Is Africa's Window To The World, Says Namibian High Commissioner
- Nigeria and Namibia jointly agreed that it is important that HIV/AIDS is eliminated from Africa completely
- The two countries also agreed to work together and learn from each other in fighting the deadly disease
- Humphery Geiseb who is the Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria commended the country and NACA's effort in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
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Abuja, FCT - In strong recognition of the efforts made by the Nigerian government to free the country of HIV/AIDS, the Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, has commended the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its leadership.
Geiseb in a courtesy visit to the agency's office in Abuja on Thursday, July 8, which was attended by Legit.ng said other countries in Africa see Nigeria as their window of achievement to the world.
He said Namibia as a country is willing to learn the ropes and adapt every single template used by Nigeria to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS among its citizens.
Source: Facebook
Good Stories About Africa's Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Calling on African nations to improve their storytelling skills by showcasing the great achievements by the continent, Geiseb said NACA is doing so well in the area of HIV management.
Geiseb said:
"We Africans are not good at telling the good stories of what we are doing across the continent, my coming here is to tell you to continue the good things you are doing."
Stating that Namibia is encouraged by the level of progress being made by Nigeria in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Geiseb said it is important that the two countries work together in stomping the disease out of Africa.
Geiseb said:
“I am just bringing, as a friend, a message of hope and a word of encouragement that you will continue to do the good work that all of us and the rest of Africa will be proud of what Nigeria is doing in the specific field of containing and eliminating HIV/AIDS."
"What happens in Nigeria matters to the continent. What achievements Nigeria is registering in the area of HIV/AIDS will be an encouragement to the rest of the men and women in this continent who are working on eradicating HIV/AIDS."
He also enjoined NACA led by Gambo Aliyu to continue working hard in ensuring that not only Nigeria but the whole of the African continent is free of HIV/AIDS.
He said:
“I’m just here to pay my respect and also to encourage you to continue with the hard work you are doing. We in Namibia are encouraged by your achievements and definitely, many people, many Africans in this great continent look at Nigeria as the window of Africa to the world."
The Building Blocks To Ending The Spread of HIV/AIDS
In his address, the director-general of NACA said to end HIV/AIDS, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission is paramount.
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Aliyu said PMTCT is the building block for any country or continent that wants to stop the spread of the disease.
Also commending Namibia, Aliyu said the country has achieved 100 percent success in ensuring that the coming generation is not infected with the disease.
Aliyu said:
"The best way to end AIDs is to make sure that the incoming generation doesn’t have AIDS. There is no way you will end AIDS if you leave the incoming generation to have AIDS. This area is very important and it's an area we are looking forward to seeing how much we can learn from the Namibian successes."
He also said that Nigeria is working towards ensuring the total elimination of HIV by the year 2022 especially as it has achieved a critical milestone.
In a Facebook post, the agency said that the chairman House of Representatives on HIV/AIDS Hon Abubakar Dahiru, the board chairman NACA, Senator Oladipo Olujirin, among others participated in the launch of the National Domestic Resources Mobilisation and Sustainability Strategy 2021-2025 in Abuja.
Also, Legit.ng previously reported that the agency had said that 430,000 people living in sub-Saharan Africa may have died of AIDS.
The agency said the individuals could have died due to the six months interruption in treatment caused by COVID-19 lockdown.
According to NACA, it would require an additional investment of $2.4 billion to be able to reach the United Nations’ epidemic control target in the next three years.
In other news, Aliyu warned all Nigerians against false claims of a cure for HIV/AIDS.
The director-general of NACA said that there is currently no cure for the disease anywhere in the world as widely claimed.
He said no one on earth can boast of having a cure for HIV/AIDS anywhere in the world.
Source: Legit.ng
