Lagos — First Lady, Mrs Turai Yar'Auda has urged Nigerians to support the fight against HIV/AIDS for the country's survival.

She made the call at the launch of the National women Coalition Against AIDS in the North-east zone, at the Ramat Square Maiduguri, Borno State.

Mrs. Yar'Adua said that all stakeholders especially women should come to HIV/AIDS for a better society.

She said this is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians and the women folks in particular, as women are the most vulnerable groups in the society that are most hit by the disease.

Hajiya Turai noted that the vulnerabllity of the women make it necessary for her to be at the forefront of the fight against the menance of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and Africa at large.

The first lady appealed to the wives of the governors of the north eastern sub-region to carry the campaign and enlightenment to door steps of the rural dwellers, stressing that, they constitute 70 per cent of the population of Nigeria.

She added that the advocacy campaign will help in no small measure in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

On his part, governor Ali Sheriff of Borno state challenged the modern medical practitioners and their traditional counterparts to intensify search for a global solution on the problems of HIV/AIDS.

Governor Sheriff noted that Nigeria ranks third after India and South Africa as countries most inflicted by the devastating menace of HIV/AIDS in the world.

He stated that the launching of the campaign is timely and we should use it as sober reflection on the people affected with the virus.

Sheriff commended the foresight and effort of Hajiya Turai, in fighting the sourscourge of HIV/AIDS.

He assured his total support and commitment towards the fight of eradicating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

On her part wife of Borno state governor, Hajiya Fatia Ali-Sheriff assured the total support of the wives of the governors of north east in fighting the menance of HIV/AIDS and millennium development goals (MDGs).

Mrs. Sheiff also said that local action committee on AIDS is being established in all the 27 local government areas of the state and that effort are on to eradicate the scourge of AIDS in the state through advocacy visits to the rural areas.

She also said that the state action committee against AIDS has established 10 centre HIV/AIDS care centres across the state.

"In an effort to control mother to child transmission of the virus, a free antenatal programme was instituted at the state Specialist Hospital maiduguri" he said Mrs Sheriff.

She also said that preparation for a meeting of the state Action Committee on AIDS of the North eastern region to be held in Maiduguri to draw a coordinate master plan to fight against the scourage.