FIC Report (Enugu State) – As part of activities lined up during her two-day working visit to the South East, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has flagged off Free to Shine Triple Elimination Campaign of HIV/AIDS, SYPHILIS and HEPATITIS among women of productive age, elimination of Mother-to-child transmission and treatment of children born with HIV/AIDS in the South East.
Performing the function at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Enugu, the First Lady said in Nigeria, Hepatitis and Syphilis as major public health concerns.
Our Government House Correspondent Okechukwu Nwafor reports that In 2024, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, there were over One hundred thousand children and nearly two million adults living with HIV/AIDS.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said it is heartbreaking to observe that just two years ago, fifteen thousand children between the ages of zero and 14 lost their lives to HIV related illnesses, stating that the up going challenges faced by those children emphasized the urgent need for sustained action to improve prevention strategies, enhance diagnoses and expand access to treatment.
She said the joy of the campaign is to raise awareness, renew the commitment and take collective action against those diseases, as the country’s belief aligns with the shared vision of the healthier Nigeria, noting that it is also in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of president Bola Tinubu’s administration which focuses on health as essential in the nation’s development.
In her welcome address, the First Lady of Enugu State, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah who commended Mrs Tinubu for championing such a lofty initiative, expressed delight that Enugu benefited hugely.
Also, the Governor of Enugu state, Dr Peter Mbah said health is not just a sector, but a foundation upon which progress is built, noting that Enugu has aligned its healthcare priorities with the vision of the Free to Shine Campaign.
Launched under the aegis of the Organisation of African First Ladies for development, Mbah described the campaign as a beacon of hope, stating that by September 2025, all the type-two primary healthcare centres across the 260 political wards in the state must have been completed and fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Signed
Bonaventure Ngwu,
HOC Enugu
(11-06-2025).
