Youthhubafrica’s Rotimi Olawale caught up with Gabriel Adeyemo, West African Regional Focal Point of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS where he shared his 10years experience as an advocate/campaigner on HIV/AIDS, his research interests and what he will prioritize if he was the Minister for Health. Read the excerpts below
Gabriel Adeyemo (R) with Micheal Sidibe of UNAIDS and another youth advocate
Q: How did you get involved in the HIV/AIDS campaign?
I got involved in HIV/AIDS advocacy in 2003 while pursuing my passion for science and public health. Right after the launch of the MDGs by the UN General Assembly in 2000, I was instantly enthused by a number of goals as I recognized the potential for them to be addressed by young people.This ignited a torrent of ideas on how to stimulate my peers and adult allies. My new enthusiasm coupled with my interest in epidemiology and immune system diseases/disorders spurred my involvement in HIV prevention advocacy with focus on HIV vaccine research. I thought it made outmost sense that young people like myself be at the forefront of HIV prevention efforts, afterall the statistics clearly show that we bear the brunt of the epidemic.
Q: You have been involved in the PrEP research. In simple terms, what is PrEP and how useful is this to the HIV/AIDS campaign?
PrEP stands for Pre Exposure Prophylaxis. The idea behind PrEP is to see if HIV medication (ARVs – Antiretroviral) may prevent people who are HIV negative (i.e. People NOT living with HIV) from becoming infected. Simply, the usefulness and advantages of PrEP is that, there have been a number of PrEP research and studies, and most of them have shown that it is effective at preventing HIV infection if taken daily, and this is evident from the recent Truvada study. Another advantage of PrEP to HIV campaign is – it will provide an option for protection and prevention other than condoms and will be accessed by a wide range of marginalized groups that condoms might not work for, e.g. MSMs and other young people at risk.
Q: Do you think we would live to see a world without AIDS?
I am optimistic that a world without AIDS is close by and that soon, all the HIV vaccine research work being done all over the world will soon yield the preferred result. It took scientists 47 years to discover the polio vaccine, 16 years for Hepatitis B, 42 years for Measles, 33 years for Human Papillomavirus (HPV); HIV is just 30+ years and still counting. I am sure that very soon, with the present rate of researches at various institutes all over the world, there will be both Preventive and Therapeutic vaccines if we don’t relent in the HIV prevention advocacy.
Gabriel Adeyemo. Regional Focal Point, West Africa, GYCA
Gabriel Adeyemo (L) with colleagues at a conference
Q: You have been at many international conferences including the last International AIDS conference, what have you gained from attending these meetings?
The major thing I enjoyed at most International conferences is “sharing of best practices” with other young people and colleagues from other countries and learning new skills from long standing advocates and researchers in my field of interest (HIV vaccine development). Also, at most of these conferences, I’m being sponsored to represent other young people at the country or regional level, to make presentations on our success stories and setbacks as regards SHRH, HIV/AIDS issues with other stakeholders. At the just concluded International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, I spoke at 2 different sessions on a panel why young people need an HIV vaccine and the acceptability roles of the community and perceptions towards the female condoms generally.
Q: Why has the female condom not become popular globally?
The female condom I must emphasize is popular at the global level just like the male ones. The only issue with them is that, they are not being widely used by women themselves. The female condom still suffers various myths, misconceptions that serve as barriers to its use, including; its size in the vagina, the smell, the shape and that it hinders the satisfaction and pleasure of sex. All of these factors attributes to it being neglected by women, though they are all misconceptions. We need to do more campaign and advocacy to educate women on the need to patronize female condoms other than the male ones but people should feel free to use anyone they are comfortable with.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 10years?
Gabriel Adeyemo (L) with Dr. Djibril Diallo at the Pan African Youth Leadership Summit in Burkinafaso last year
(laughs)…10 years from… I’m so sure the world would have gotten a vaccine for HIV by then and there will be other public health issues to respond and advocate for. In 10 years time, I see myself mentoring young advocates and public health experts because by then, I will be among global policy, decision makers/stakeholders on public health issues to whom young people will write emails to support their cause and sign their petitions too…. (laughs)
Q: You were involved in the CrowOoutAids program of UNAIDS, what was this all about and how was this different from such other documents?
CrowdOutAIDS project was designed to crowd source youth perspectives from all areas of life on the UN youth policies. CrowdOutAIDS wasn’t designed to be implemented by the UN(AIDS) alone, but to be an outcome documents that political and other stakeholders in the HIV response will use to bringing young people to leadership positions on issues affecting our lives. CrowdOutAIDS was completely different from other kind of documents in a sense that, it brought the involvement and suggestions of young people from their grassroots communities to contribute to a global document. Young people as far as Calabar, Osogbo, Ogun, Mushin – Lagos, FCT – Abuja, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, skilled and unskilled alike, were able to contribute to this document. CrowdOutAIDS is already moving youth inclusion into various policy making and this has been majorly achieved with the help of UNAIDS. I am still looking forward for more UN agencies and stakeholders to support this document that captures all the views of global youth.
Q: If you become Minister for Health today, what will be your major policy thrust?
A: Being the Minister of Health today, I shall work with other core stakeholders to address the alarming public health crisis in Nigeria. I shall work towards implementing all government based promises and political declaration on issues of health, related to the MDGs 4, 5, and 6 and national policies on health.
I shall focus and redirect our resources and energies towards preventing and ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, as this is one global shame that Nigeria is facing among others on health issues.
I will work towards strengthening public (government) healthcare systems in Nigeria by incentivizing medical personnel and healthcare providers to work in the rural and grassroots communities where there are more severe and unattended public health concerns.
I will develop pro-poor health policies allowing free treatment for the poor and accident victims.
I will also foster a partnership scheme between the government and international donors that fosters sustainable development.
My ultimate aim for health services would be to achieve nationwide access to quality health care services. However, I would be very emphatic about the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV as an immediate short term goal.
Q: Thank you for your time
A: The Pleasure is mine
