PRIORITIZE RESOURCES IN THE FIGHT TO ENDING PAEDIATRIC AIDS SAYS FIRST LADY

 First Lady and President of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), Mrs Lordina Mahama has stressed the need to prioritise resources in the fight to ending Paediatric AIDS and improving Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.

According to her the journey to end paediatric AIDS and improve adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights poses fierce challenges including lack of resources, inadequate capacity, poor commodity security, and some unfavourable laws and policies. She made the call when she opened the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of OAFLA, the first since she was elected as the President of the organisation.

Organised on the margins of the 26th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the meeting provided the opportunity to the First Lady to share her priorities and work plan with her colleague first ladies for endorsement and joint implementation. The meeting was under the theme “Advancing Sustainable Partnerships to end Paediatric AIDS & Improve Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights”. 

The  First Lady said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a new opportunity and there was the need to identify and utilize entry points across several sectors and at various levels, as an efficient and cost effective way to achieve the ambitious goals of ending AIDS among Children and improving Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. 

 Mrs Mahama urged her fellow First Ladies to intensify their advocacy efforts in these areas; so that more countries would begin to develop the needed plans and programmes, and look for the needed resources for implementation. The OAFLA President indicated that whilst many of the member states have made great strides in prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV transmission (PMTCT), less progress has been made in scaling-up HIV diagnosis, care, support and treatment among children. She said there was no targeted care for positive children as they transit into adolescence and AIDS has become the leading cause of death among adolescents (aged 10-19) in Africa and the second most common cause of death among adolescents globally.

According to the First Lady, although AIDS-related deaths were declining in all age groups, except among 10-19 year olds, new HIV infections among adolescents are not declining as quickly as among other age groups. Adolescent girls, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected.” “We can make a difference, we can overcome these hurdles if we work in a concerted and united way.

Recognising OAFLA’s long- time partners which include the UNAIDS, UNFPA, IPPF, AUC and Alere Inc, Mrs Mahama said as their partnerships grew stronger they would yield great fruits to the benefit of the African people. She expressed the hope that the year 2016 would see the achievement of major milestones in the collective endeavour to secure the future of Africa, improve maternal and child health on the continent and work towards ending the AIDS epidemic.
The First Lady commended the efforts of Mrs Ban Soon-Taek, wife of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) for her continued support of OAFLA, as well as efforts to improve the lives of all men, women and children, both in Africa and abroad. Two new Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) was signed between OAFLA, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and AMREF.   

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr Michel Sidibe’ commended the African First Ladies for their advocacy role which has helped to reduce HIV in their respective countries. He said during the establishment of OAFLA people were sceptical that it would not make any difference but the achievements of the First Ladies have greatly demonstrated otherwise. “You have worked very hard to speak for the voiceless and very soon no one child in Africa will be born with HIV all thanks to you”.