The First Ladies of Sierra Leone and The Gambia have arrived in Accra for a high-level African First Ladies meeting on ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, and Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia, will join Thursday’s side event at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Dramani Mahama, is hosting the engagement, which will examine the role of women in leadership in fighting stigmatization, abuse, and neglect of victims, particularly women and children, and outline concrete steps to protect their rights.
Mrs. Mahama and her Lordina Foundation have gained international recognition for their health advocacy and humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations over the past decade.
In 2013, she was appointed a Health Ambassador to support the Heart-to-Heart campaign and champion the cause of HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana.
In February 2016, Mrs. Mahama, then serving as President of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), delivered a message on the need for proactive responses to HIV and the sexual and reproductive rights of young people at the 7th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights in Accra.
The First Ladies of Kenya and Liberia, along with a former First Lady of South Africa, are also expected in Accra for the meeting.