SPEECHES

Ambassador John Campbell

Remarks

To High School Students

Awareness Program to Commemorate World AIDS Day

Federal Government Girls College, Shagamu, Ogun State

December 5, 2006

Principal and staff of Federal Government Girls’ College, Shagamu; Teachers from secondary schools in and around Shagamu here present; Members of the media; Distinguished ladies and gentlemen; Boys and girls; All protocols observed.

Good morning.  I would like to thank the principal of Federal government Girls College, Shagamu, Mrs. R.A. Jeje, for making this facility available for this event.  Also, to all the students, teachers, administrative and support staff, thank you.

I am delighted to be here today to have the opportunity to commemorate World AIDS Day with children and young people in Shagamu.  It is a special treat for me to be among students; I often recall with nostalgia my days in secondary school and, later, as a teacher in a small college. 

Today, I want to talk about World Aids Day (which is December 1 actually).  I want especially to highlight the commitment of the governments and peoples of both Nigeria and the United States to combat the aids pandemic.

World Aids Day is an opportunity to remember the more than 25 million people who have died from AIDS, and to support the more than 38 million people who are currently living with HIV.

It is also a time to recommit ourselves to compassionate action, and to reaffirm the promise of partnerships that are creating new hope.

Globally, each day an estimated 8,000 people die from AIDS, and 14,000 become infected with HIV. 

In Nigeria, the numbers are sobering.  With a prevalence rate of 5 percent, it is estimated that Nigeria has over 3.5 million cases of HIV/AIDS and sustains the third largest HIV/AIDS burden in the world.

In response to the global epidemic, and with the strong support of the American people and Congress, President Bush launched the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003.

The program was launched with a $15 billion commitment by the President, which has been described as the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health initiative.

Nigeria is one of the 15 focus countries targeted by PEPFAR, and it benefits from the rapid expansion of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services.

On World AIDS Day in 2004, President Obasanjo and I jointly launched the Emergency Plan in Nigeria.

Under the president’s emergency plan, Nigeria has already received more than $311.6 million since 2004 to support a comprehensive response to the pandemic.

This is a commitment from which we will not turn.

PEPFAR supports many prevention, treatment and care programs, carefully planned to achieve results.  We partner with the government and people of Nigeria to build a locally-driven response to the pandemic.

The leadership and commitment to fighting AIDS is strong and growing.

Remarkable results have been achieved by the work of dedicated people in Nigeria, including those in faith-based and community-based organizations.

People living with HIV have also been especially helpful in planning, delivering, and monitoring the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS programs.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan is dedicated to supporting these efforts today, and to increasing local capacity for Nigeria to respond tomorrow.

This work includes the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the disease, antiretroviral treatment, counseling and testing, providing care for vulnerable children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and strengthening organizations of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Local people around the world, in partnership with the American people, are turning the tide against HIV/AIDS in their own nations and communities.

The promise of these partnerships is to develop the capacity that will allow communities to sustain their efforts long after the initial five years of the President’s Emergency Plan.

The American people are committed to standing with the Nigerian people as partners until the fight is won.

We fully recognize that Nigeria faces a daunting task.  We stand together as a friend of Nigeria to fight to win this battle.

Before I close, I want to address a few words directly to the young adults in this audience. As secondary school students, you are among those who will soon graduate and hopefully move on to Universities and Colleges either here in Nigeria, the United States or in some other part of the world.  I urge you to disassociate yourself from the stigma and discrimination often directed at those who are infected with the virus.  HIV related stigma and discrimination is a barrier to fighting this epidemic, since it often prevents people from seeking treatment.

You are urged, therefore, to participate in community programs that confront attitudes and practices that promote stigma and discrimination.  Your adherence to this message will ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS will be accepted members of the community in which they live.

Nigeria needs not only your intellectual contribution, but also your steadfast moral commitment, to build a strong and vibrant democracy based upon values shared by most Nigerians – values of compassion, religious tolerance, education, and hard work.

These are some of the values that have made America strong and as a friend and partner of Nigeria.  Your adherence to these shared values will also make your nation strong.

I wish you well in your studies, and thank you for your attention.