The Free To Shine Triple Elimination Campaign in the South-West geographical zone has been formally inaugurated by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is encouraging young Nigerians to take aggressive measures to fight hepatitis, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS.
The campaign, which began in Akure, Ondo State, on Friday, marks the South-West as the fifth region in the nation to join the national movement, which aims to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the three diseases by 2030, according to a statement released by the First Lady’s Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi.
Speaking to the launch’s stakeholders, Senator Tinubu underlined the value of youth involvement and the need to eradicate the stigma associated with the illnesses.
“Without your participation, this campaign would not be possible, dear children and youth. Although your age group is among the most vulnerable, you stand in for our future generation. “Please be careful and keep yourself safe,” she warned.
She praised those with HIV/AIDS for sharing their experiences.
“Their stories inspire others living with HIV/AIDS to seek the support and treatment they deserve with courage and confidence, serving as a powerful reminder of resilience and hope,” she said.
The First Lady also emphasized how important traditional and religious institutions are in reducing stigma and enhancing access to care and testing.”To address cultural and religious influences on HIV prevention behaviors, we need to increase our engagement with traditional and faith-based institutions,” she stated.
She also expressed appreciation to health workers, national health bodies, and international partners for their continued efforts.
“I thank all our health workers, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP)… WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNDP, PEPFAR and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) amongst others,” she stated.
In his remarks, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, assured stakeholders of the state’s commitment to re-evaluating healthcare funding priorities.
“Ondo will review its budget to tackle the realities of healthcare funding as it affects the three diseases,” he said.
Also speaking, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, announced ongoing efforts to provide subsidized medical tests and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
“The request for free or heavily subsidized liver and kidney function tests… is already getting the Federal Government’s attention,” he stated.
The event featured a spoken-word performance by Oluwatomilayo, promoting positive lifestyle choices among youth.
According to the statement, the artistic presentation set the tone for the campaign’s official flag-off by the First Lady.
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