Turai Yar'Adua cautions on HIV/AIDS

January 18, 2008

The wife of the president, Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua in Yola cautioned Nigerians not to jubilate over the recent report on the decline of HIV and AIDS prevalence in the country.

Turai Yar'Adua gave the advice at the inauguration of Adamawa chapter of Women Coalition against HIV and AIDS.

She said the drop should not be misunderstood by people to be careless and negligent in their attitude toward the scourge.

She said the infection was still high and urged all groups and stakeholders in the fight not to relax efforts to checkmate the scourge.

Turai who was represented by the wife of the vice-president, Mrs Patience Jonathan said it was in an effort to check the spread that she organised a meeting of the wives of state governors in Abuja, last year, to form the

National Chapter of the Women Coalition Groups against HIV and AIDS.

The President's wife noted that it was gladdening that Adamawa was the first to launch its own chapter within the North-East zone.She also expressed delight that the state had concluded plans to establish the coalition at the local level.

Hajiya Zainab Nyako, wife of Adamawa State governor, said 24.5 million out of the world's 34.4 million people living with HIV and AIDS lived in sub-Saharan Africa.

She said that Nigeria recorded a prevalence rate of 4.4 per cent in 2005, while Adamawa recorded 4 per cent.

Zainab attributed the situation to socio-economic and gender related factors, adding that poverty was the most serious cause of the spread in Africa.

"We should not fold our hands to see the proceeds of our marriages wither due to the scourge," she said.

Source:News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)