The Edo First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki haslauded the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its various intervention programmes in the state, applauding the agency’s commitment to the welfare of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Edo.
The first lady gave the commendation when she received the USAID Care and Treatment Team Lead, Dolapo Ogundehin, who was on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City.
According to her, “I am very pleased and impressed with the work USAID is doing in alleviating the pains of those suffering from HIV/AIDS around the world, Nigeria and particularly, in Edo.
“Your support for those who need help and the less-privileged is highly commendable. We appreciate you for the intervention and collaboration the agency is bringing to our people in Nigeria to help us govern better and deliver what it is supposed to deliver to its people.”
“Your organization is known to operate with very high integrity. You are a very reliable partner to work with at any time for any project. We value your collaboration, your partnerships and your intervention and recognize what you have done so far in our state,” she noted.
Mrs. Obaseki, however, assured that the state government through her office will continue to provide the agency and all its implementing partners the required support and assistance to enable them succeed and implement projects across the state.
Earlier, Dolapo Ogundehin, USAID Care and Treatment Team Lead, commended the state for its support over the past 18 years it has operated in the state.
Speaking on some projects embarked on by the agency in the state, Ogundehin said USAID has been able to identify and place over 25, 000 persons living with HIV/AIDS on life saving treatment, adding, “We still have 17,000 people who are yet to be diagnosed and placed on treatment.”
“Sadly, we still have over 6,500 of them as children. This is a cause for us to do more in order to avert a disaster in the long run. We are focused on the mother-to-children transmission; we are working on orphans and vulnerable children in the state,” she added.
