African countries set to end HIV/AIDS through cross-border operations

As part of efforts to meet its mandate of coordinating Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) strategies and national policies along the West African coast into an effective and efficient system towards boosting set policies, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO) converged in Abuja to hold its first annual statutory meeting of Governing Board of Year 2016 from Thursday June 23 to Friday June 24, 2016.

The Heads of States of the five coastal countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Togo and Nigeria), through a Joint Declaration had signed in April 2002 endorsed the creation of ALCO and the establishment of its executive and statutory bodies, among which, the Project Governing Board (PGB).

Director General of the National Agency for AIDS (NACA) and Chairman ALCO, Prof. John Idoko, said that as clearly stated in the additional protocol of the Joint Declaration signed by the Heads of States of the five countries, “the aim of the statutory meeting is to oversee the activities conducted by the Executive Secretariat and determine the orientations of the Organization.”

He further stated that subject to their last meeting held in 2015 which key decisions were taken to improve ALCO Management and operations, the meeting in Abuja will provide an avenue to take stock of such decisions and channel on way forward.

It was understood that due to Finance of activities from development partners such as the World Bank, Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), other partners and support from the five Countries, ALCO has successfully implemented activities related to HIV/AIDS, Ebola, health security issues, climate change, road infrastructure/security/safety, as well as movement of people and goods across member countries.

In his remarks, the Country Representative of UNAIDS, Dr. Camara Bilali, acknowledged that the convergence of ALCO will go a long way in the sustaining the fight to end AIDS by 2020.

He pointed out that looking at the mandate of ALCO, the UNAIDS will analyses the operational framework in each of the five member countries and apply in work relations to ensure that project 90-90-90 of ending AIDS by 2020 is actualized.

While commending stakeholders for the vision to set up ALCO, Camara further stated that beyond movement of persons and goods, “UNAIDS will ensure it mobilizes support for not just transport but also for an effective healthcare integration among ALCO States.”

The 90-90-90 project is an ambitious treatment target to help end AIDS by 2020. It entails that by 2020, 90 per cent of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 per cent of all people receiving Anti Retroviral (ARV) therapy will have viral suppression.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by Dr. Segilola Araoye, in his keynote address noted that the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor is about 1,022km across the five countries and the impact of HIV/AIDS is exacerbated by socioeconomic and cultural factors while effecting control has been challenging due to weak health systems.

The Minister further informed that since “the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor handles 65 per cent of economic activity in the region, thus the importance of establishing and sustaining interventions in the corridor project cannot be over emphasized.