Biire Child and Maternal Foundation – BIIRE FOUNDATION

Due to the large population percentage of delicate gender, the health of women and children has thus become vital to creating a healthy world. Despite great progress recorded in this particular healthcare, there are still too many mothers and children dying mostly from causes that could have been prevented. Every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy, childbirth and HIV/AIDS. 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries while developed countries are on top of the game.

Beyond some of these issues being confronted by some particular environments, is critically analyzing if changes are often welcomed, appreciated and embraced.

Such is Biire Child and Maternal Foundation‘s testimonies which are being resounded through their numerous impacts particularly on women and children, while benefactors, relentlessly have continued to sing this NGO’s praises, commending them of the outstanding impacts they have made in the society. It has however been noted that NGOs’ regardless of the level of their impacts on the society always crave to do more selfless services.

Biire Child And Maternal Foundation a  registered and established in 2006 in response to the fight against HIV/AIDS  with particular focus on Maternal and Child  Health, aims to prevent of mother to child transmission as entry care and support to people living with  HIV and affected by HIV/AIDS including children.

According to Dare Ajayi, the executive director of the Biire foundation, HIV/AIDS is a major threat to Africa’s social, political and economic development, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, it accounts for the leading cause of child & maternal mortality. The current figure reveals that over3millionpeople currently live with  HIV&AIDS,  making  it  the  country  with  the second-largest  number  of  People  Living  with  HIV/AIDS

To address these challenges, Biire and partners are currently carrying out high impact prevention, care and support intervention to reduce HIV  infections and to help support those adversely affected by using combinations of scientifically proven,  cost-effective and scalable interventions targeted at the right population which aims to reduce the impact of the disease. More importantly, he said that Biire’s aim is to foster general understanding of HIV/AIDS and hoping to prevent further infection.

In addition to so many other impacts, the executive director also made mention of the provision of a continuum  of comprehensive care comprising of nursing care, access to drugs, counseling and psychosocial support for the patients. There is also the provision of care  &  support  to  orphans  & vulnerable  children  by  facilitating education, good nutrition, counseling, healthcare, income-generating activities, HIV/AIDS education and also providing HIV/AIDS information to indigenes of rural areas

Mr. Dare also noted that Biire has been able to conduct home-based and mobile  HIV  testing through outreach programs using test kits in both urban and rural areas. He reiterated that due to the stigma still associated with HIV/AIDS, people are still very much reluctant to go for tests hence the need for this confidential test, he concluded.

Recognizing the importance of the Millennium Development Goals, Mr. Ajayi noted that there was the need for the foundation to integrate these components into its work which include: monthly Community Health Initiative which has helped in providing much needed medical care and nutritional support to hundreds of pregnant women, community  health fairs, HIV/AIDS awareness, campaigns, provision of medical and legal support for(PLWHA)and eradicating extreme poverty and hunger through its School Feeding Program.

The Executive Director did not fail to note that one of the key factors that also served as awareness and sensitization are the FELABRATION EVENT and THE LAGOS AIDS WALK. These two  platforms which  seek to advocate  for increased  political  will  and  corporate  support  for  HIV prevention, treatment, care, support and raising funds for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of  HIV(PMTCT)campaigns; and finally a progress  towards  international  goals  of  universal  access  to  HIV  Counseling  and testing HCT services, Mr. Ajayi pledged the action will be a non-stop advocacy.

As these impacts toll continue to rise, the Biire Foundation with full force and relentless efforts pledges to continually rise to the rescue of several HIV/AIDS patients in the society and ensuring their plights are alleviated.