National Coordinator, Association of women living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN), Mrs. Esther Hindi, has appealed to traditional media organizations in the country to amplify the voices of her members.
Speaking, at the weekend, in Abuja when she took over the association’s leadership from Mrs. Assumpta Reginald, who piloted the affairs in 2012, Hindi lamented that women living with HIV in the country face serious economic hardship, adding that the present situation of things in the country also compounded their situation.
She noted that ASWHAN was embarking on a survey supported by UN Women to assess the impact of the country’s economic situation, especially among women living with HIV, to help it come up with an achievable and sustainable work plan for intervention. The coordinator noted that most funding partners do not see or hear about the work they do.
“In the next six months, my executive will engage in high-level advocacy with our funding partners, government, and civil society organizations to set out our goals and areas of needs and support for our women.”
We need support from all angles, so we will be pleading and soliciting support from our partners. I know they have assured us that their doors are open, so we will be accessing those doors.
“We will work together, so that, at least, our voices will be heard and our presence will be felt, especially in the social media. We will soon be talking to the press for them to know what we planned to do for Nigerian women and their children. People should know that we exist, especially as vulnerable groups, who suffer stigma and discrimination,” she said.
Hindi thanked Global Fund, U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UN Women, the UN system in Nigeria, Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP) and other partners for immense support shown to ASWHAN in the past, while looking forward to more support and joint commitment towards ending Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) and Paediatrics AIDS in Nigeria through Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) interventions.
She expressed her determination to build on the good legacies of her predecessor and assured the partners of continued collaboration in supporting women living with HIV in Nigeria.
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