By Bukola Adewumi
Abuja – Mr Kabir Tsanni, the National President of Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), on Monday lamented the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and cancer among women in the country.
Tsanni, who spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of the union’s national women committee in Abuja, said the situation was worrisome to the union.
“It is necessary to worry about the situation as we talk about the 2017 cancer and HIV/AIDS awareness campaign,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the awareness campaign, as well as a workshop, was part of the inauguration of the union’s national women committee.
The campaign has the theme “Cancer and HIV/AIDS and the work environment in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects’’.
The RATTAWU National President said it was regrettable that women were the ones who suffered the burden of HIV/AIDS and cancer.
He said however that with sensitisation and awareness campaign on the dangers associated with these diseases, the infection rate would in no distant time reduce.
“For the HIV/AIDS and cancer infection-free life to be achieved, women must be careful with their lifestyle,’’ Tsanni said.
Mrs Helen Nnadozie, a nurse who spoke at the awareness campaign, said since the time HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed in the U.S., HIV/AIDS and cancer had gradually spread worldwide.
She said the plague was “undoubtedly proving to be a threat to health development, especially in Sub-Sahara Africa where it continued to spread like wild fire with 67 per cent of global population infected’’.
“In 2007 there were about 33 million people living with HIV, with 3.0 million annual infections and 2.0 million deaths, making it the most destructive epidemic of modern time.’’(NAN)