Nigerian Health Minister Calls On Advocates To Submit 'Effective' Plan To Reduce Spread Of HIV/AIDS Ahead Of First Ladies' Conference

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 19 Nov 2007 - 8:00 PDT

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HIV/AIDS advocates should "submit concrete and effective proposals" to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa, Nigerian Health Minister Issa Lamine said ahead of the African Synergies Conference, Xinhua News Agency reports. The conference -- organized by African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, a nongovernmental organization established by first ladies from African countries in 2002 -- is scheduled to be held in Niamey, Niger, on Thursday, Xinhua News Agency reports.

Delegates plan to discuss the state of affairs on the continent, including maternal and infant mortality, and methods to realize the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. According to Xinhua News Agency, advocates will review the actions African governments have taken since 2005 concerning HIV/AIDS and the prospects for 2007 to 2010.

Lamine called on HIV/AIDS advocates to provide proposals to the first ladies to "hel[p] them enhance their contribution to the fight against the AIDS pandemic in Africa," adding that "one of the greatest challenges facing the health sector in Africa is the weakness of our health systems, which is marked by high levels of maternal and [infant] mortality rates" (Xinhua News Agency, 11/14).

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