By Millicent Senava Mannah
The National HIV/ AIDS Secretariat on the 24th November, 2021 convened a press briefing aimed at throwing light on World AIDS Day 2021 which will take place on the 1st of December. This press engagement was held at the Prof. S.T.O Alghali NAS Conference Hall, at Dwarzack.
Director General of NAS, Abdul Rahman C. Sesay, said the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “End Inequalities, End AIDS, End Pandemics’’ which, according to him, is relevant to the country and the world at large, furthering they are actively working towards eradicating violence against women.
He maintained that their focus this year is on Cervical Cancer and their focus is women living with HIV/AIDS because the disease is high among them, adding that Cervical Cancer is a disease that can be treated.
Abdul Rahman C. Sesay continued by stating that they strongly believe the Press is a partner in addressing HIV/AIDS, continuing that if some people are infected, those who are uninfected can still be affected maintaining that therefore the HIV/AIDS sensitization should be everybody’s business.
He furthered that the Honorable Minister of Health will do a launch on Cervical Cancer for women living with the condition to benefit from free screening and treatment, mentioning how they are also helping to address other related issues disclosing that they are partnering with health workers and key organizations in the implementation of some of their activities.
The Director General furthered that since the Sustainable Development Goals were launched, the world has committed itself to end HIV/AIDS by 2030, stating that it is the lessons they learnt from HIV/AIDS sensitization that was implemented when the COVID 19 outbreak took place.
UNAIDS Country Director, Isaac Ahemesa, said the UN is very strategic in celebrating the World AIDS Day and that they will be starting a programme from the 1st on to the 10th of December 2021 which is also the International Day of Human Rights.
He furthered that people feminize the epidemic, stating that the prevalence of the disease among men is 1.1, and among women is 2.2. Isaac Ahemesa continued that data shows that for girls before the age of 25 years, 2.5 gets infected, while only 0.5 boys gets infected.
He added that girls are open to sex at an early age so they are likely to contract the disease early, requesting that people should support the First Lady’s “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign in order to prevent girls from getting infected by the disease.
The RSLAF representative, Lt. Gladys Nanilla Kamara, stated that they will continue to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, distribute condoms as part of the activities on that day (1st December) and that it will be happening within their barracks targeting their military personnel and their dependants within their military confines.
