Impact Story: HIV Treatment of Women & Children in Nigeria
Impact Story: HIV Treatment of Women & Children in Nigeria
How can we prevent babies from being born with HIV? In Nigeria, the Lafiyan Yara project is set out to reduce vertical transmission –HIV transmission from mother to child. It trains key community members to identify pregnant women for HIV testing and enrolment in antenatalfor care services. Fatima Sanni is one of the many women who delivered her baby HIV-fFree. In The Guardian, Sanni tells her story.
They encouraged me that I could take drugs and I would be alright. After that, a sense of relief started growing in me
- Fatima Sanni
In Tabara state, Nigeria, the Lafiyan Yara project, supported by Aidsfonds and partners, has helped women over the past three years. So far, this has led to over 600 women and over 300 children being treated for HIV/AIDS. This was done by training community leaders, like birth attendants, to identify people living with HIV, such as women and children. Lafiyan Yara also stresses the importance of antiretroviral treatment, so that people living with HIV don’t fall ill and to prevent vertical transmission.
Fatima Sanni tells The Guardian about her experience working with Lafiyan Yara. “They [health workers] encouraged me that I could take drugs and I would be alright. After that, a sense of relief started growing in me”, Sanni says. Her life has had many positive changes because of her treatment. Her health has improved, several members of her family were tested and started treatment and her youngest child was born HIV-free.
Because of these success stories, like the one of Sanni, Lafiyan Yara is set to continue for another three years. In this second phase, the project will be expanded from eight Nigerian districts to ten.
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