Eradicating HIV/AIDS: Namibia Seeks Partnership with Nigeria

The Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, says his country is willing to learn the Nigerian HIV/AIDS elimination example.

He admitted this during a courtesy call on the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of Aids, NACA in Abuja. He commended Nigeria’s efforts in the area of HIV management.

Humphrey Geiseb hopes that Nigeria will continue to do the good work the rest of Africa will be proud of in the specific field of containing and eliminating HIV/AIDS.

Namibia, he says, is encouraged by Nigeria’s achievements.

He added that his visit was to acquaint him with the knowledge of what Nigeria is doing, what is working and what shouldn’t be attempted.

Namibia, though small, has made a lot of progress in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV just as Nigeria’s NACA has been growing from strength to strength and become worthy of emulation.

He added that both countries can partner with relevant agencies to address common challenges of HIV and assist citizens living with the disease.

The Director General of NACA, Dr Gumel Aliyu while welcoming the High Commissioner remarked the building block to ending AIDs is in the prevention of Mother to child transmission of HIV.

Dr. Aliyu said, “Namibia has achieved 100% of Mother to child transmission of HIV. This is the beginning, building block to ending AIDS. The best way to end AIDs is to make sure that the incoming generation doesn’t have AIDS. There is no way you will end AIDS if you leave the incoming generation to have AIDS. This area is very important and its an area we are looking forward to see how much we can learn from the Namibian successes” 

He also said that Nigeria is working towards elimination of HIV by the year 2022 as it has achieved a critical milestone of getting it under control.

He commended the High commissioner for reinvigorating Nigeria and Namibian friendship.