Kampala — FIRST lady Janet Museveni and her Nigerian counterpart Mrs Turai Umaru Yar' Adua have pleadged to work together in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its effects in their countries.

The two made the committement in the Nigerian capital, Abuja yesterday. Mrs Museveni, who is accompanying her husband, Yoweri Museveni, on a four-day official visit to Nigeria met Mrs Yar'Adua and members of the Nigerian National Women Coalition on AIDS (NAWOCA) at State House Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting Mrs Yar'Adua said Uganda and Nigeria share alot in common, with majority of their population living in rural areas and facing a lot of challenges thus tackling them jointly would work to their advantage. She singled out poverty, famine, malnutrition and diseases.

She pleadged to work with her Ugandan counterpart in the struggle against AIDS through the Organisation of First Ladies of Africa against Aids (OFLA).

Mrs Yar'Adua, who is also the chairperson of Africa's First Ladies peace mission called for the end to wars in Africa. "Say enough is enough to wars," she pleaded. She vowed to support war victims in northern Uganda.

Mrs Museveni called for a more serious approach if Hiv/aids is to be eradicated in Africa with a strong emphasis on prevention.

"Hiv/aids has continued to thrive because we have failed to protect ourselves and our children," Mrs. Museveni told women members of NAWOCA.

"we have failed to exercise self control, say no to pre-marital sex and live faithfully in marriage as emboded in our cultures," she added. She expressed concern that African uses the little resources to fight Hiv yet it is preventable.

She commended the different efforts by the Nigerian first lady in the fight against aids, pleadged her commitement to work with her until the mission to have a society free from aids is realised.