Nigeria Walks Against HIV/AIDS

Nigeria will leave no stone unturned to prevent further spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, President Olusegun Obasanjo declared in Abuja Monday as he kicked off a rally and a nationwide walk against the scourge. The rally was organized by the National Act Museum. "We have played a vanguard role in raising awareness against HIV/AIDS," Obasanjo said.

More than one million Nigerians are estimated to have HIV, while several thousand have died of AIDS, he said. Several thousand children have also been orphaned by the disease, according to Obasanjo. "We have to raise awareness and make sure that those who have not caught the virus do not catch it. That is the responsibility we have as a government," the president said. "And for those who have caught the virus, we should love and care for them because it is not a contagious disease. I do not know if there is anything worthwhile to tell our brother and sisters living with HIV/AIDS than that we love them and that we care for them," he said.

Obasanjo called on Nigerians to assist the government to take the campaign against HIV/AIDS "to places where we should take it. To homes, schools, places of worship and workplaces," he said. His cabinet rose from a weekly meeting on Oct. 3 with a decision to set up an agency to deal specifically with HIV/AIDS.

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