Luena – The First Lady of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenço, highlighted Friday in Luena, eastern Moxico Province, the good impact of the “Born Free to Shine” programme in reducing the transmission of HIV-AIDS from mother to child from 26 percent in 2018, to 17 percent so far this year.
Speaking to the Press after delivering a residence to a mother of triplets, covered by the programme, the First Lady said she was “very happy” that in Angola it is possible to be born free to shine, and stressed that she had a dream come true.
Ana Dias Lourenço added that when she decided to embrace the project in 2018, she hardly believed it could be possible to show the world that in Angola children would be treated under this programme.
The First Lady added that the goal was to reduce up to 14 percent the incidence of mother-to-child HIV transmission and to take Angola out of the list of countries with a high rate of infection, but the Covid-19 pandemic prevented this from happening.
Ana Dias Lourenço said she hopes that the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Institute will continue to implement the HIV Vertical Transmission Elimination Operative Programme.
“When we were here, in December 2018, I remember that at the time we committed to run the campaign for a period of three years and we assumed the commitment to do everything so that by 2030, in Angola, there can be no more paediatric AIDS”, the First Lady explained.
Ana Dias Lourenço delivered a three-bedroom residence to a mother of triplets born under the “Born Free to Shine” programme.
These are three three-year-olds (two girls and a boy) named João Lourenço, Ana Dias and Ilda Cândida born in April 2019.
The residence is located in the outskirts of the city of Luena. It was financed by the Office of the First Lady, with the support of partners with the total amount of 20 million kwanzas.
Tchissola Noemia, the 26-year-old beneficiary, a second time mother, thanked the gesture.
Since the implementation of the “Born Free to Shine” programme, in Moxico Province, at least 1,425 women have already been assisted, 367 of whom were diagnosed negative and 32 positive.
For the first time, 863 women, who adhered to the voluntary testing stations and the treatment, are being assisted.
Source: Angola Press News Agency