March 5, 2002
As part of Nigeria's continued effort to ensure that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is brought under control, a one-day sensitisation summit on HIV/AIDS that will attract the former American president, Jimmy carter and the American billionaire Mr. Bill Gates, will hold in Abuja on March 9, 2002.
This was disclosed by the minister of Health, Pro Alphonsus Nwosu, while exchanging views with the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Howard Jeter in his office last week. The summit, the minister said will lay bare the problems of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Nigeria, and prepare Nigeria for the war against the scourge. It is also expected that an action agenda that will lead to the control of the spread of the disease will be drawn during the summit.
Prof Nwosu expressed optimism that after the summit, Nigeria will be better focussed to continue to direct the war against the pandemic, both in Africa and the World, adding that it was in Nigeria last year that major decisions on the war against HIV/AIDS were taken by both African and world leaders, including the establishment of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS.
According to the Minister, the campaign will continue to be directed at sexually active segments of the Nigerian society, including students in institutions of higher learning, long distance truck drivers, commercial sex workers and drug users.
Prof Nwosu remarked that the distribution of the Anti-Retroviral drugs in various centres in Nigeria, among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAS), have commenced as Nigeria was determined to ensure the success of the programme. The minister said the AIDS summit will attract Governors, traditional Rulers, labour leaders, student leaders and Nigeria's development partners.
Earlier, the Ambassador had expressed hope that the visit of the Americans will help reinforce the determination of Nigeria to continue to lead the war against the pandemic in Africa.
In a related development, the project Director, Access Project for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, centre for International Development, Harvard University USA also paid a courtesy call on the Health Minister. The minister told his quest that Nigeria's application to the Global Fund will be, "flawless as it was Nigeria that provided the African declaration on the Roll-Back-Malaria programme and also the African declaration on HIV/AIDS.
The minister disclosed that he had fallen in love with the people living with HIV/AIDS, to the extent that he will continue to be a co-ordinator of the programme for PLWTS, even when he would have been out of office as the minister of health.
In his speech Dr. Josh Ruxin of Harvard University assured the Minister of the co-operation of the Global Fund in prosecuting the war against communicable diseases in Nigeria.
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