Fighting Against Paediatric AIDS

Côte d'Ivoire wants to take the lead in the fight against paediatric AIDS. That will was shown through the organization by the Ivorian Government in collaboration with UNAIDS, for the first time in Abidjan, of an international ministerial meeting which took place on Tuesday 10 May 2016 in the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire of Abidjan.  The objective of this meeting which was attended by the Ministers of Health of Mali, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya aims at renewing and reinforcing the global action for the eradication of children AIDS epidemic. The goal of the meeting is also to create the framework of a continental coalition in order to get a best medical care for children living with AIDS. Here is the theme of the meeting:  'Towards the end of Paediatric AIDS: Catalyse Global Action to Make up the Gap for Paediatric HIV treatment'. This is a strong appeal for HIV/AIDS-positive children to which the First Lady could not have remained indifferent, since she is committed to humanitarian action for many years. It is therefore quite logical that Mrs Dominique Ouattara, First lady of Côte d'Ivoire and UNAIDS Special Ambassador and for the promotion of paediatric treatment presided over the opening ceremony of this high level meeting. It was such a good opportunity for the spouse of the Head of State to make an appeal for a concerted action in order to curb AIDS epidemic in general and the paediatric AIDS in particular. 'However, in order to reach the eradication goal of the disease by 2030, we must intensify efforts, to elicit more commitments and go beyond the achievements nationwide as well as internationally.   That is what I am trying to achieve in Côte d'Ivoire, in our continent and in the world with my sisters First Ladies within the Organization of African First Ladies (OAFLA). In fact, to achieve the elimination of the Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, we needs a coalition of all, and the reaffirmation of our commitment. The achievement of our common goals calls for the participation of each actor of this battle in order to reach the following objectives: 'zero new infection' in the next coming years, and to working together for a generation without AIDS. (…) Creating a world without AIDS will come about through more concerted and systematic actions, so that women and children continue to receive sustainably treatment which is adapted against the HIV', pleaded Mrs Dominique Ouattara.