Wife of the Rivers State Governor and Founder of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI),Dame Judith Amaechi, has advocated for a door-to-door campaign to compel  women in the rural areas to visit health centres during their pre-natal and post- natal stages of child birth.

Making the call at the 2011 World HIV/AIDS celebration tagged,” Zero New HIV/AIDS Infection: Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT,)” at Ngo Town, headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area yesterday also solicited for the support of non-governmental organisations, menfolk and religious bodies to fight the scourge.

In her words,” door-to-door campaign is the single action we must take. This is the way we can stop this virus”

Mrs Amaechi lamented that the womenfolk were the worst affected because of their child bearing status, stating that nearly 50percent of preganat women do not go for ante-natal care, while about 30 percent of those who attend deliver at the hospitals.

Considering this scenario, she insisted that all cultural practices that hinders women to visit medical centres should be eliminated, especially now that the State Government had provided free medical care.

In addition, she remarked that health personnel at the hospitals should also change their attitude towards patients by being empathetic and humane in their approach so as to encourage the citizenry in using the facilities.

She pledged her full support to the campaign maintainig that,”this is a cause we must pursue and we must win it with God helping us”.

On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker described the campaign as a giant step against HIV/AIDS, “Now we are saying we can eliminate HIV and we are starting in Nigeria with the elimination of Mother-to- Child Transmission of HIV virus”, he said.

Dr Parker who stated that the state was succeeding on its fight against the scourge explained the EMTCT had become important because of the threat to families. He maintained that once the virus infects a pregnant mother without medical attention, it will run through the family line and unleash havoc.

The Commissioner further declared,” the one of Mother-to-Child is biological but if we stop it, is a giant step in eliminating HIV/AIDS”.

He therefore urged pregnant mothers to always go for ante-natal checks, ensure their blood is screened and avoid casual sex.

Speaking earliier, Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Hon Orom Nte-Ereforokuma pledged ro intensify the campaign in the area.

The Andoni Local Government boss explained that since most of the rural women hardly visit medical centres during pregnancy, the council would provide incentives to encourage them to do so.