Information gathered from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), the US Presidential Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) show that Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world with a population of 160 million, has the second largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) (3.1 million) after South Africa (5.6 million).
— Who we serve
We serve the widows, less privileged, orphans, homeless and the immigrants Communities.
It accounts for 10% of the global HIV burden. The states with the highest prevalence are in the north-central, south-east, and south-south parts of the country. Since 2000, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among adults has stabilized at under 4%, as compared to an approximate prevalence of 4.6% among pregnant women. Young women between the ages of 15 and 24 are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV as young men in the same age range.
Most new infections (42%) are among persons engaged in “low-risk” sex, and include married persons or co-habiting sexual partners and young widows who turned sex workers to make ends meet. There are marked disparities in care by wealth and residence status. Only roughly a quarter of the poorest women and less than half of rural women accessed antenatal and routine care at all, and less than a tenth of the poorest and a third of rural women receive skilled care at delivery. Getting money for treatment, concerns that no drugs would be available, and distance to health facilities are commonly reported issues.
While Bastion Foundation, Inc. (BFI) has compassion for all affected demographic groups, sees a niche and wants to focus on the young widows, especially those of them that have young children and must put food on the table for them. There is a trend for these widows to do anything including sex works in order not to starve in today’s stark economic realities of Nigeria.
As stated above the states with the highest prevalence include the south-east which has a population density of over 1,000 per square kilometer, the highest in Africa. BFI does not seek to screen or provide treatment since this is the focus of the government and global concerns. BFI wishes to bring the love of Christ to these women and pre-occupy them gainful trade for generation of legitimate funds for daily bread. This informs its food on the table and microfinancing initiative.