By Floyd Alvin Galloway Special to the NNPA News Service From the Arizona Informant

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Namibia First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba, president of the Organization of the First Ladies against HIIV/AIDS (OAFLA) told delegates to  the International AIDS Conference, that increased African countries are playing a greater role in curbing HIV infections by stepping up their direct involvement.

“Ten years ago Africa was a continent that was most adversely affected by HIV/AIDS. I feel privileged to be one of the 37 African First Ladies and representatives who gathered in Geneva in 2002, where the OAFLAA was established,” said Pohamba.

OAFLA was formed to develop policies and programs against the disease through advocacy, resource mobilization and develop partnerships with stakeholders.

The Sub-Saharan area of Africa has been hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. The First Lady noted that since the development of the organizations and partnerships the region has dropped its new HIV infection rate by more than 26 percent.

However Pohamba explained that 22 countries are still suffering immensely by the ravages of the disease, including her own.

She outlined seven objectives should be implemented to continue to rid the continent of the disease; address fragmentation and duplication of efforts, improve the holistic approach of mother/child health programs and reproductive services, increase the effort combine  treatment  and prevention, increase governmental funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Sub-Saharan region of the continent.

She also explained the involvement of youth living with HIV/AIDS is crucial in planning, management and implementation of programs, as well is the involvement of men and women living with the disease, in all areas of policy and program development; and more men need to become involved in the agenda to end mother-child transmission of the disease.

“We are all equally needed to do business unusual to enhance cultural and behavior change for the sake of eliminating new HIV infection,” she said. Adding to reach zero new infection, zero stigma and discrimination and zero HIV related deaths by 2015, will take a collective effort. “Together we can do it.”