The Global Fund was born out of the dreams of many, and it has saved lives, changed lives, and enabled millions to live on and pursue their own dreams. Behind this institution that has saved 44 million lives are the stories of countless people.
FGFJ has created a documentary series in the 20th anniversary year of the Global Fund, titled, It Always Starts with a Dream. The series started with an introductory digest video, covering the history of the fight against infectious diseases. Japanese experts also discuss the present and future of the world’s countermeasures against infectious diseases.
Following the initial digest video, a series of three episodes were released featuring the stories of people who are making efforts to realize the dream of ending AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
“When I first mooted the idea of the Global Fund, people said I was dreaming…I love dreams. It always starts with a dream.”
– Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations from 1997-2006
Episode 3 (in Japanese):
Mentor Mothers: Connecting Lives and Hopes for the Future
Nigeria has the world’s third largest HIV-positive population, and the country faces a high rate of HIV among infants and young children. Over the years Nigeria has made progress in reducing the number of children diagnosed with HIV, however, despite efforts, in 2021 approximately 26,000 children were found to be HIV-positive,* the highest number in the world.
To address this, the country is actively training Mentor Mothers as a cornerstone of its program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV during childbirth. Mentor Mothers are HIV-positive women who have taken mother-to-child transmission prevention measures and have given birth to HIV-free children. These women utilize their shared experience to support new and expecting mothers to improve the quality of their treatment and care so that both the mothers and their children can live healthy lives.
This episode, released on World AIDS Day, focuses on Mulikat, who was diagnosed with HIV and TB at the age of 27 and has served as a Mentor Mother for over a decade in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. “Mentor Mothers: Connecting Lives and Hopes for the Future” highlights Mulikat’s work as a Mentor Mother, her background, and what is being done to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria. The episode includes interviews with Mulikat’s colleagues, women who receive her support, state government officials, and representatives from NGOs working to fight HIV.
*Nigeria Fact Sheet on AIDSinfo
Credits:
Planning and Production: Friends of the Global Fund Japan
Video Direction and Production: ActAdvent
Narration by: Hitoshi Kubota
